The State Department of Employment Security says unemployment rates remained higher than the national rate in November. But, Department Director Jeff Mays noted metro areas outside of Chicago have experienced more job growth recently.
Bloomington-Normal saw gains in financial activities, leisure and hospitality, and government. Peoria's biggest growth came in professional and business services.
According to the department's monthly report on statewide unemployment, nonfarm jobs increased by 42,800 statewide since November 2015.
That's not the case in the Twin Cities, which lost 1,200 nonfarm jobs over the year.
McLean County's unemployment rate decreased less than a point from a year ago to 4.5 percent. Peoria County's rate went down nearly a point and a half to just over 6 percent compared to November of 2015.
November figures show an estimated 4,500 unemployed people in the Bloomington metro labor force are looking for jobs. The biggest losses in the area were in manufacturing with about 1,200 fewer jobs.