More Chicago Jobs Lost in July

Posted on August 29, 2008

More Chicago jobs were lost in July, and the area’s unemployment rate continues to increase.

In July, Chicago‘s unemployment rate came in at 7.5 percent, an increase from 5.4 percent last year. Overall, the city has lost 2,700 jobs, according to an article by NBC5.com.

Illinois‘ unemployment rate rose to 7.3 percent in July from 5.1 percent last year, and all metropolitan areas in the state reported unemployment increases.

The highest unemployment rate was in Rockford, at 9 percent, up from 6.1 percent last year. That was followed by Kankakee-Bradley, where the unemployment rate rose to 8.6 percent from 6.2 percent last year, and Danville, where the unemployment rate was 8.6 percent, up from 6.8 percent last year.

“National economic trends have now fully impacted the Illinois labor market,” Illinois Department of Employment Security Director James Sledge said in the article. “While many areas throughout the state continue to experience stable or moderate job growth, local economies cannot provide enough opportunities to prevent increases in unemployment induced by national economic uncertainty.”

The lowest unemployment rates were reported in the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island metropolitan area at 5.1 percent, up from 4.1 percent last year, and the Bloomington-Normal area at 5.6 percent, up from 4.1 percent.

The biggest job increases were reported in the Lake County-Kenosha region, which added 2,200 jobs in July, and the Peoria area, which added 1,700 jobs.

According to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet area had a total non-farm employment of 3,905,000 in July 2008, a decrease of .1 percent from last year.