State Unemployment Rate Jumps To 8.6 Percent

Illinois' unemployment rate jumped to 8.6 percent last month, the highest it's been since December 1991.

February's rate is up from 7.8 percent in January.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security says 37,200 people lost jobs last month.

That brings to 570,100 the number of Illinoisans without jobs. That's the most since November 1983.

Manufacturing was hardest-hit it February, losing 16,400 jobs. The professional and business services sector lost 12,300 jobs.

IDES Director Maureen O'Donnell says a state capital program is needed to help reverse the trend.

The national unemployment rate stands at a 25-year high of 8.1 percent.

Comments

[DASChicago]

Mr. Quinn, hey, Mr. Quinn...

[naschkatze]

Oregon is over 10%, and I live next door to Crook County which has the highest unemployment rate in the state, over 16%! All I can say is that unlike Chicago and Illinois, we are not taxed to death on top of it. The taxes are Illinois' biggest problem.

[prusso]

You can get a great spatial view of the unemployment situation in Illinois by referencing this map unemployment heat map for the state: http://www.localetrends.com/st/il_illinois_unemployment.php

[ekoorb]

The only state not seeing higher unemployment is Louisiana; the right-wingers are crediting Bobby J, while, of course, it's the huge Katrina investment. There's a nice little reason to want the Olympics.