Unemployment Down in November in Illinois Metro Areas

Once again, unemployment is down from a year ago, in all 12 of Illinois' major metropolitan areas.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security reported that November was the third month in a row that unemployment has declined in all 12 metro areas from a year ago. It's the fourth month of such declines for the Champaign-Urbana and Danville areas, and the fifth consecutive month of declines for the Decatur area.

In Champaign-Urbana, the November unemployment rate was 8.2 percent, down from 8.9 percent. In Danville the rate was 11 percent, down from 11.7 percent, and in Decatur, the rate was also 11 percent, down from 12.1 percent.

November unemployment ranged from 7.1 percent in the Bloomington-Normal area to a high of 13.7 percent percent in Rockford.

Figures for 18 east-central Illinois counties showed jobless numbers improved from a year ago in every county but Douglas. November unemployment for Douglas County was 9.2 percent, up from 9 percent percent a year ago.

While the unemployment rates are better than a year ago, the total numbers of non-farm jobs have gone down in Danville and Decatur, and are unchanged in Champaign-Urbana.

Statewide, only Rockford and the Illinois side of the Quad Cities showed an increase in non-farm jobs from November of last year. IDES spokesman Tom Austin says the unemployment rate and the survey of non-farm jobs are compiled separately and do not always correlate. He says that among the contributing factors are workers who find jobs outside of their county or metro area.

Illinois' statewide unemployment rate was 9.2 percent. That's just below the 9.3 percent national average.

(Additional reporting from the Associated Press)