© 2024 WGLT
A public service of Illinois State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Bloomington-Normal Jobless Rate Continues To Fall

Unemployment insurance claims office
bytemarks
/
Creative Commons/Flickr
The Bloomington-Normal jobless rate is on the decline.

Bloomington-Normal's jobless rate fell again last month, with the area adding more jobs than other metro areas in the state, the Illinois Department of Employment Security reported Thursday.

The local unemployment rate fell to 4.4 percent in June, down from 5.3 percent a year ago, IDES reported. The Bloomington-Normal metro area added 3,100 nonfarm jobs over the past year.

That increase in nonfarm jobs (up 3.4 percent) is better than any other metro area in the state, IDES said.

The local jobless rate now about matches the national average (4.5 percent) and is lower than the statewide rate (5 percent), IDES reported.

“While the job gains in the northeastern corner of the state show some signs of recovery, the rate of job growth remains well below the national average,” IDES Director Jeff Mays said in a statement. “There are pockets of modest job growth Downstate, but we’ve yet to see any sustainable trends.”

WGLT depends on financial support from users to bring you stories and interviews like this one. As someone who values experienced, knowledgeable, and award-winning journalists covering meaningful stories in central Illinois, please consider making a contribution.

Ryan Denham is the digital content director for WGLT.
Related Content