Chicago jobless rate drops in June from year ago
-- Sun-Times July 27, 2012 9:40AM
The Chicago area unemployment rate fell to 9.4 percent in June, down from 10.9 percent a year ago, according to data released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security on Thursday. But the month-to-month comparison isn’t so rosy. The rate, which was not seasonally adjusted, is up from 8.6 percent in May.
The increase might be due to a variety of seasonal factors, such as a summer job market inflated by college and high school students who typically look for jobs when they’re no longer in school, said Greg Rivara, a spokesman for IDES. He said June unemployment numbers tend to be higher than May numbers year after year.
The Chicago-Joliet-Naperville region saw the biggest decline in the jobless rate year-over-year compared to 11 other metro areas. The rate fell in four other areas, increased in one and stayed about the same in six compared to a year ago.
The rates were the highest in the Rockford area, at 11.5 percent, down from 12.4 percent; the Kankee Bradley area, at 11.2 percent, down from 12.1 percent; and the Decatur area, the area that saw a significant increase, at 11 percent, up from 10.5 percent.
The rates were the lowest in the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island area at 7.3 percent, down from 7.4 percent; the Bloomington-Normal area at 7.6 percent up from 7.5 percent; and the Springfield area at 7.7 percent, up from 7.6 percent.
The biggest job gains year-over-year were in the Chicago area, which added 32,600 jobs, the Peoria area, which added 4,500 jobs and the Lake County-Kenosha County Metropolitan Division, which added 2,000 jobs.
Job losses occurred in the Champaign-Urbana area, down 1,300 jobs, the Danville area, down 1,200 jobs and the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island and Decatur areas, down 900 jobs each.
The biggest job growth came from manufacturing, professional and business services and educational and health services, according to the report.
“Manufacturing and other private-sector job growth continues to push our economy through an uneven recovery,” IDES Director Jay Rowell said. “This steady progress is encouraging even as we remain guarded on how world economic events in Europe, China and elsewhere will be felt here at home.”
The Illinois unemployment rate rose to 8.7 percent in June, up from 8.6 percent in May but down from 9.9 percent a year ago, according to seasonally adjusted data released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security last week.
The national unemployment rate was 8.4 percent in June.
