The unemployment figures from the Illinois Department of Employment Security, Economic Information and Analysis Division came out last week. In that report, Illinois saw their unemployment rate go up by .4-percent, to now 5.0-percent. The united states number went up as well by .5-percent, so it’s now at 4.4-percent. In our area, the lowest is once again Washington County with a number of 2.7-percent, down from 2.8-percent. Clinton this month is at 3.4-percent, up by .2-percent from last month. Randolph down by .1-percent, so now 3.9-percent unemployed. Jackson County is at 4.2-percent, down by .4-percent from last year. For the rest of the area, St. Clair 4.3-percent, Marion at 4.4-percent, Jefferson 5.1-percent, Perry 5.3-percent and Franklin once again the highest with a number of 5.7-percent. Washington and Clinton Counties are again ranked in the top 5 with the lowest unemployment figures. In 1st place is Brown County, with an unemployment rate of 2.3-percent. Washington got 2nd, with 2.7-percent unemployed. Monroe is 3rd lowest with a number of 3.1-percent. 4th is a tie between Clinton and Moultrie counties, with an unemployment rate of 3.4. The top 5 highest unemployment numbers goes as followed…5th a tie between Union and Stark counties, with a figure of 6.8-percent, 4th is Alexander county, with 7.0-percent. 3rd goes to Pulaski county, at 7.1-percent. The top two are Johnson county, at 7.4-percent, with Grundy county on top, with an unemployment rate of 7.6-percent. In total, a little under 50-percent of Illinois counties are under 4.5-percent. 40-percent of counties are between 4.6 and 5.5-percent unemployed. These figures are from the Illinois Department of employment security.