Illinois jobless rate dips in January vs. December
By Francine Knowles Business Reporter fknowles@suntimes.com March 1, 2012 1:08PM
Updated: April 3, 2012 8:15AM
The unemployment rate in Illinois fell to 9.4 percent in January from 9.7 percent in December, the fifth straight monthly decline and the biggest monthly decrease since September 1992, the Illinois Department of Employment Security said Thursday. The rate was unchanged from a year earlier.
The state added 3,800 jobs in January from December.
“January adds another month in the long-term trend of putting people back to work,” IDES Director Jay Rowell said in a statement.
The jobless rate is above the national rate of 8.3 percent. Historically the state’s rate has been higher than the national rate.
The report showed the biggest month-over-month job gains in Illinois were in professional and business services, up 7,700; lesiure and hospitality, up 3,600; and financial activities, up 3,500.
The biggest job losses month-over-month were in educational and health services, down 5,800; and trade, transportation and utilities, down 3,200.
The biggest job gains since January 2011 were in professional and business services, up 26,400; and manufacturing up 10,500.
The biggest declines year-over-year were in government, down 10,900 and construction, down 9,500.
Illinois has added 122,900 private sector jobs since January 2010 when job growth resumed after 23 straight months of declines, IDES said.
