New jobs numbers have been slow to rebound in McLean County, even as the economy has reopened from pandemic restrictions.
The latest data from the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) show many jobs have come back.
The Bloomington-Normal area added 100 jobs in October 2021 compared to October of last year, pushing its workforce to 89,1000. That includes the addition of 700 jobs in leisure and hospitality, 300 jobs in construction and 300 jobs in education and health services. The area is down 900 jobs in financial services and 400 jobs in government.
The Bloomington-Normal unemployment rate dropped to 3.7% in October. That's down from 4% in September and better than the 4.9% mark recorded in October 2020. The current rate trails only Champaign-Urbana (3.6%) for the lowest jobless rate in the state.
Illinois’ jobless rate is 5%, down from 7.5% over the last year.
