Illinois Jobless Rate Rises Again

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Published on May 20 2016 11:39 am
Last Updated on May 20 2016 11:39 am
Written by Greg Sapp

The Illinois unemployment rate rose again in April to 6.6%. The March rate was at 6.5%.

Illinois Department of Employment Security Director Jeff Mays said, "April saw modest job growth, but more than half of this growth was experienced in temporary jobs or employment agencies. Additionally, although Illinois jobs saw a moderate increase over the last four months, the portion of full-time jobs in Illinois remains lower than it was before the recession began in 2007."

In April, the three industry sectors with the largest gains in employment were: professional and business services (+7,600), educational and health services (+2,600) and government (+400). The two industry sectors with the largest declines in employment were: other services (-2,300) and financial activities (-2,200). 

The state's unemployment rate is higher than the national unemployment rate reported for April, which held at 5.0%.