Bloomington-Normal's jobless rate stayed stuck in double digits in June for the third straight month, the Illinois Department of Employment Security reported Thursday.
The area's jobless rate was 10.6% in June, up sharply from 3.8% this time a year ago (before the coronavirus), IDES reported. That spike is comparable to what other downstate metro areas have experienced, such as Champaign-Urbana and Springfield.
Bloomington-Normal's jobless rate hit 12.8% in April and 10.9% in May.
The Bloomington-Normal area's economy shed 9,200 jobs between June 2019 and June 2020. The biggest losses were reported in the Leisure-Hospitality (-4,000 jobs lost), Government (-1,500), and Professional-Business Services (-1,300) sectors. The Financial Activities sector (+200) saw payroll gains year-over-year, IDES reported.
Initial jobless claims from Bloomington-Normal area residents suggest over 15,000 people have lost a job since March.