Bloomington-Normal sees jobless rate drop

Posted on December 23, 2016
Employment Application
The Bloomington-Normal unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in November. (Photo courtesy Flickr/Flazingo Photos)

By Eric Stock

SPRINGFIELD – Bloomington-Normal has the third best jobless rate in the state.

The latest figures from the Illinois Department of Employment Security show local unemployment at 4.6 percent, that’s down from 5.3 last November. Springfield has the lowest at 4.3 followed by Champaign-Urbana.

The Bloomington-Normal area still lost 1,200 jobs over the last year. Thirteen of Illinois’ 14 metro areas saw their jobless rates fall over the last year while the Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights market remained the same at 5.4 percent.

The highest unemployment rate was registered in Danville at 6.4 percent.

The state jobless rate is 5.3 percent.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected]. 

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