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Unemployment numbers statewide still growing
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[January 30, 2009]
CHICAGO -- Over-the-year
unemployment rates for December increased in all 12 Illinois
metropolitan areas for the 20th consecutive month, according to
data
released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Seven
metro areas posted their highest unemployment rate on record (back
to 1990) for the month of December.
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 Metro areas that
reported the largest unemployment rate increases were Rockford,
where unemployment went up 5.4 points to 12.5 percent;
Kankakee-Bradley, up 2.9 points to 10.5 percent; Danville, up 2.3
points to 9.4 percent; Lake-Kenosha, up 2.3 points to 8.0 percent;
and the Illinois section of St. Louis, up 2.3 points to 8.3 percent.
From December 2007 to December 2008, total payroll jobs decreased in
eight metropolitan areas, remained stable in three and increased in
one, Peoria, where there was a 1,500 increase. Job totals were down
57,500 in the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet metro area.
"We continue to evaluate how best to help people in these
difficult times and have added staff, expanded TeleServe hours for
claim certification and encourage people to use the website to file
for unemployment insurance," IDES Director Maureen O'Donnell said.
"This national economic downturn has created challenges across
Illinois. In an effort to provide benefits and information as
quickly as possible, we encourage the growing number of job seekers
to visit the department's website at
www.ides.state.il.us."
___
Unemployment rates
(Not seasonally adjusted)
|
Metropolitan
area |
Dec. 2008* |
Dec. 2007 |
|
Bloomington-Normal |
5.4% |
4.2% |
|
Champaign-Urbana |
6.1% |
4.8% |
|
Chicago-Naperville-Joliet |
7.0% |
4.9% |
|
Danville |
9.4% |
7.1% |
|
Davenport-Moline-
Rock Island |
6.1% |
4.8% |
|
Decatur |
7.9% |
6.1% |
|
Kankakee-Bradley |
10.5% |
7.6% |
|
Lake-Kenosha,
Ill.-Wis. |
8.0% |
5.7% |
|
Peoria |
6.3% |
5.0% |
|
Rockford |
12.5% |
7.1% |
|
Springfield |
6.3% |
4.9% |
|
St. Louis (Ill.
section) |
8.3% |
6.0% |
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* Data
subject to revision. |
|
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[Text from
Illinois
Department of Employment Security
file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information] |
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