State’s unemployment rate down, slightly

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Updated: January 10, 2012 11:28AM

The Illinois unemployment fell one-tenth of 1 percent in November as the state added 600 jobs, according to preliminary data fromthe U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Illinois Department of Employment Security.

The decline from 10.1 percent occurs as Illinois has added jobs in eight of the past 11 months, a release from IDES said.

“Illinois’ economy continues to take small, positive steps despite the pressure of an uneven national recovery,” IDES Director Jay Rowell said. “We have averaged nearly 6,000 new jobs each month this year. And we continue to lead the Midwest in job growth since the recovery began.”

Illinois has added 62,300 jobs so far this year and 105,600 jobs since January 2010 when job growth returned to after 23 consecutive months of declines, the release said. That represents a 1.9 percent job growth, the same as the nation’s 1.9 percent.

In November 2011, the number of unemployed individuals decreased for the first time since April, down 8,100 (-1.2 percent) to 660,600, according to the release. The total has declined 79,500 (-10.7 percent) since January 2010 when the state unemployment rate peaked at 11.2 percent.

The unemployment rate identifies those who are out of work and seeking employment. A person who exhausts benefits, or is ineligible, still will be reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.