Published on May 29, 2026 3:48 pm
Last Updated on May 29, 2026 3:48 pm
April was another month where unemployment rates were higher than the same month one year earlier.
The April 2026 jobless rate for Effingham County was 3.3%, up from 2.8% in April 2025. The Illinois Department of Employment Security reported that total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 175 jobs in April 2026.
Employment gains were posted by employers in the Construction, Manufacturing, Government, Trade-Transportation-Utilities, and Professional-Business Services sectors. Payroll losses were seen in the Private Education-Health Services, Financial Activities, Information, and Other Services sectors.
Area counties also saw unemployment increases in April from year-earlier figures:
Clay–4%, up from 3.8%
Coles–3.4%, up from 2.9%
Cumberland–3.3%, up from 2.7%
Effingham–3.3%, up from 2.8%
Fayette–4.7%, up from 3.8%
Jasper–3.4%, up from 2.7%
Shelby–3.6%, up from 3%
The statewide April jobless rate was 4.7%, up from 4.2% in April 2025.
