The Bloomington-Normal area's unemployment rate shot up to 12.8% in April, as the coronavirus shutdown took its toll on the economy, state officials announced Friday.
The local jobless rate was expected to climb into the double digits. More than 10,000 people in McLean County sought jobless benefits for the first time in March and April, WGLT previously reported.
The Bloomington-Normal area lost 12,100 jobs between April 2019 and April 2020, the Illinois Department of Employment Security reported Friday. The hardest-hit sectors were Leisure-Hospitality (5,400 jobs lost), Professional-Business Services (-1,800), and Retail Trade (-1,200).
The national jobless rate hit a record 14.4% in April. The statewide rate was 16.9%.
The unemployment rate identifies those individuals who are out of work and seeking employment.
This story will be updated.
