Unemployment was down or steady in most metro areas across Illinois last month.
New state and federal data show six metro regions posted declines, four increased, and two were unchanged compared to a year ago. The Chicago region saw the biggest drop, falling more than a point to four-point-six percent. Decatur recorded the largest jump, climbing to six-point-two percent. Job growth was strongest in Springfield, Champaign-Urbana, and Chicago, while Kankakee, Peoria, and the Illinois section of Davenport reported losses.
Overall, the statewide unemployment rate dropped six-tenths of a point to four-point-seven percent.
In Carbondale, the jobless rate held at five-point-one percent, unchanged from last year. Payrolls were nearly flat, down about fifty jobs. Gains came in construction, health care, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing and mining.
