Illinois Unemployment Rising

Unemployment in Illinois continued to track well above the national average in August, as the number of job-seekers climbed and employers continued to trim their payrolls.

The state's jobless rate inched up to 7.3 percent last month, from a revised 7.2 percent unemployment level in July, the Illinois Department of Employment Security said Thursday.

The national unemployment rate climbed in August to 6.1 percent, the U.S. Labor Department reported earlier this month.

In August, the state agency said, a total of 5,976,100 people were on employers' payrolls. That's down 3,500 from July, and it marks the third consecutive month in which Illinois employers have actually reduced their workforce.

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