The Illinois Department of Employment Security released that employment statistics for counties statewide, and the unemployment rate in Washington County ticked up a bit last month but remains one of the lowest in the state. The county’s unemployment rate rose from 3.8 percent to 3.9 percent, which is still the second lowest rate in the state behind only Brown County at 3.7 percent. These two counties are the only ones in the state with a jobless rate below 4 percent. In September of 2015, Washington County stood at 3.6 percent unemployment. The employment picture statewide improved last month, dropping from 5.5 percent to 5.4 percent in the not seasonally adjusted jobless rate. The national average is 4.8 percent. In southern Illinois, Monroe County and Clinton County are among the strongest performing counties in the state with rates of 4.4 and 4.5 percent, respectively. The highest job rates in the state are in deep southern Illinois, as Franklin, Alexander, Johnson and Hardin counties have rates above 8 percent and Pulaski County checks in with a 9 percent unemployment rate.