 "Three consecutive months of positive job numbers underscores the
deliberate pace of our economic growth," said IDES Director Jay Rowell. "Three
consecutive summers with an uptick in the unemployment rate here and elsewhere
suggests a trend unrelated to job growth and merits watching."
Employers posted more than 195,000 help-wanted ads in Illinois in July, the
Conference Board stated. Nearly 80 percent were full-time positions. The data is
seasonally adjusted.
Illinois has added 244,300 private sector jobs since January 2010, when job
growth returned following nearly two years of consecutive monthly declines.
Leading growth sectors are professional and business services, up 110,100;
education and health services, up 57,100; and trade, transportation and
utilities, up 46,000. Government has lost the most jobs since January 2010, down
33,200.
Volatility has been the hallmark of this economic cycle. When compared with
the previous month, Illinois recorded job growth in 31 months and job loss in
12. Unemployment fell in 24 months, increased in nine and was unchanged in 10.
Sustained consumer confidence could reduce volatility.
The three-month moving average unemployment rate, which smoothes monthly
volatility, was unchanged at 9.2 percent in July. In July 2013, the number of
unemployed individuals increased slightly for the second time since March: up
4,200, or 0.7 percent, to 604,700. Total unemployed has fallen 147,500, down
19.6 percent, since early 2010, when the state unemployment rate peaked at 11.3
percent for the months of January and February.
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The unemployment rate identifies those who are out of work and
seeking employment. People who exhaust benefits, or are ineligible,
still will be reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively
seek work. Historically, the national unemployment rate is lower
than the state rate. The state rate has been lower than the national
rate only six times since January 2000.
___
For the following statistics,
click
here (PDF):
[Text from
Illinois
Department of Employment Security
file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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