By Jacque Day
Illinois, Tennessee – Unemployment dropped from March to April in southern Illinois' Massac, Pope, Pulaski and Alexander counties. Alexander County saw the most dramatic dip, dropping 1.7 percent to 10.2 percent, followed by Pope County, which dropped 1.2 percent to 8.1. Massac and Pulaski counties both dropped by a few tenths of a percentage point, with Pulaski's jobless rate coming in at 9.1 percent and Massac at 8.4. While Tennessee saw an overall increase in unemployment from March to April, jobless rates for Henry, Obion and Montgomery counties each dropped two tenths of a percent. Stewart County unemployment saw a significant drop of nearly two percent to 10.6. Unemployment in Weakley rose slightly to 11 percent, and Lake jumped a point to nearly 12 percent.