Unemployment rates drop in Clark, Champaign counties in September

A "Now Hiring" sign was placed in front of Navistar in September. The unemployment rate in Clark County during that month was 7.5%. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

A "Now Hiring" sign was placed in front of Navistar in September. The unemployment rate in Clark County during that month was 7.5%. BILL LACKEY/STAFF
News
By Hasan Karim
Oct 20, 2020
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Unemployment rates in Clark and Champaign counties continued to drop in September following a gradual decrease in those numbers after sharply spiking in April due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Clark County had an unemployment rate of 7.5% in September, decreasing from the 8.4% reported in August. In Champaign County, the unemployment rate dropped by 1% between August and September, going from 7.1% to 6.1%.

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Both of those counties saw large spikes in their unemployment rates in April during the height of a statewide stay-at-home order designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The order called for businesses to close their doors if they were not deemed essential.

Ohio began re-opening portions of its economy in May.

Both counties saw a decrease in the number of people either looking for work or employed in September when compared to the previous month.

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The labor force, which tracks those numbers, in Clark County went from 64,200 in August to 63,300 in September. The number of people listed as employed decreased slightly going from 58,800 to 58,600.

The number of people either employed or looking for work in Champaign County decreased slightly from 19,900 to 19,800. However, the number of people listed as employed increased in the county between August and September. That number went from 18,500 to 18,600.

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About the Author

Follow Hasan Karim on twitter

Hasan Karim, covers all things business in Clark and Champaign counties. Has been a reporter since 2017. His focus is primarily on job creation and covering the largest companies in the area. He also reports on the local healthcare industry as well as local government.