Illinois Adds 11,700 Jobs, Lifting Payrolls to Record 6.18 Million as Unemployment Falls to 4.9%
Updated
Updated · Mahomet Daily · Aug 25
Illinois Adds 11,700 Jobs, Lifting Payrolls to Record 6.18 Million as Unemployment Falls to 4.9%
2 articles · Updated · Mahomet Daily · Aug 25
Summary
Illinois payroll employment rose by 11,700 in July to a record 6,176,400, extending the state's run of monthly job gains to five straight months.
The unemployment rate fell 0.2 point to 4.9% from a revised 5.1% in June, while the number of unemployed residents dropped 4.3% month over month to 315,700.
Private education and health services led July hiring with 6,200 new jobs, followed by trade, transportation and utilities at 3,800 and professional services at 3,700; leisure and hospitality lost 3,800.
Over 12 months, Illinois added 11,900 jobs—up 0.2%, matching the national pace—but its jobless rate was still 0.6 point higher than a year earlier as the labor force shrank 1%.
Illinois JobLink recently listed 70,314 openings against 59,325 resumes, underscoring a still-active hiring market despite annual increases in unemployment.