Ill. Unemployment Remains At 9.2 Percent In August

The unemployment rate was unchanged at 9.2 percent in Illinois last month. That's one of the country's highest jobless rates.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security says Thursday that the state added 5,600 jobs in the educational and health services sector in August. But Illinois lost a net 4,100 construction jobs.

Employment Security Director Jay Rowell pointed out that even without a drop in the unemployment rate the state still added a net 5,900 private-sector jobs for the month. Government employers actually cut a net 1,100 jobs in August.

The federal government said earlier this month that the national unemployment rate for August was 7.3 percent.