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Feb. Jobless Rates Up In B-N, All Illinois Metro Area

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Flickr via Creative Commons

February unemployment rates increased in all of the metro areas of Illinois compared to last year.

Bloomington's unemployment rate sits at 6.3 percent, but there were job gains in financial services, education, and health services with an estimated 6,200 people in search of work. For Peoria, unemployment hit 8.1 percent with around 15,000 people looking for jobs.

There were job gains in retail trade, hospitality, and government. Declines for both cites were reported in manufacturing, transportation, and utilities. I-D-E-S Director Jeff Mays says structural reforms will provide the resources to build a stronger workforce and help communities achieve economic stability.
 

Metropolitan Area

February 2016

February 2015

Over-the-Year Change

Bloomington

6.3%

5.0%

1.3

Carbondale-Marion

7.2%

6.0%

1.2

Champaign-Urbana

6.2%

5.4%

0.8

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights

6.7%

6.5%

0.2

Danville

8.4%

7.4%

1.0

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL

6.8%

6.1%

0.7

Decatur

8.2%

7.4%

0.8

Elgin

7.1%

6.4%

0.7

Kankakee

8.1%

7.4%

0.7

Lake-Kenosha, IL-WI

6.7%

6.1%

0.6

Peoria

8.1%

6.7%

1.4

Rockford

8.0%

7.2%

0.8

Springfield

6.3%

5.7%

0.6

St. Louis (IL-Section)

7.2%

6.4%

0.8

Illinois Statewide

7.0%

6.5%

0.5

* Data subject to revision.

 

 

Source: Illinois Dept. of Employment Security

Mike joined GLT's staff as a student reporter in February of 2016 having worked previously as a reporter at Illinois State University's student radio station, 103.3 WZND. He acted as a director for the WZND newsroom for two years. Mike was also seen as a reporter, producer, and anchor at TV-10 News. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism in May of 2017 before starting his post-graduate career with the Public Affairs Reporting Masters Program at University of Illinois Springfield.
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