Five thousand people in Bloomington Normal are out of work and looking for a job.
That's according to the state Department of Employment Security. The unemployment rate for the twin cities actually dropped slightly from October of a year ago. The rate last month was four-point-eight-percent.
There are eleven-thousand-jobless workers in the Peoria area seeking employment. The rate for Peoria is five-point-nine percent, which is down a full point from year ago levels.
The department labeled the overall picture in the state disappointing, but not unexpected given the lackluster rate of economic recovery since 2011.
The Bloomington Normal labor market is still down by 1,300 jobs compared to October of last year. The latest figures show little change in the smaller workforce over many months.
Most of the job losses have come in the manufacturing, construction, and retail trade sectors. There have been some gains in leisure and hospitality, financial activities, and government, but not enough to offset larger reductions in other sectors.
