Total non-farm jobs were up slightly in the Carbondale-Marion metro area year over year in November.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security reports the number jumped from 58,800 in November 2022 to 59,700 this past November.
Employment rose in Leisure and Hospitality, Government, Educational and Health Services, Construction, Financial Activities and Manufacturing.
Payrolls declined in both Trade, Transportation, and Utilities and Professional and Business Services.
The unemployment rate dropped one-tenth of a percent in the Carbondale-Marion metro area.
In November 2022, the rate was 3.8 percent. It dropped to 3.7 percent in November 2023.
The unemployment rate also dropped in most southern Illinois counties. The largest drop occurred in Massac County, where the jobless percentage fell from 4.6 to 4 percent.
The largest increase was in Edwards County, where the rate jumped from 3.9 to 4.4 percent.
