Union County leads Southern Illinois in unemployment

Union County has the highest unemployment rate out of 21 Southern Illinois counties according to a January jobs report released Tuesday, KZIM KSIM radio reported.

The jobs report shows 20 of the 21 counties registering double-digit unemployment, higher than levels in January 2009, with Union County the highest at 16 percent.

Jackson County, which includes Carbondale and Southern Illinois University, remains the lowest at 9.9 percent.

Department of Employment Security labor economist Dennis Hoffman said seasonal layoffs combined with the poor economy make the picture bleak. He said it's the worst jobs picture in the region since the early 1980s.

Hoffman said Union County has been especially hit hard with seasonal layoffs in addition to manufacturing losses at the start of the year.

The overall Illinois jobless rate checked in at 11.3 percent. The national rate for January was 9.7 percent.