Unemployment steady in Illinois in January

Posted on March 10, 2017
Job application
Illinois’ unemployment rate for January was 5.7 percent. (Photo courtesy Facebook/IDES)

By WJBC Staff

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois unemployment rate held steady in January at 5.7 percent.

There was no change in the jobless rate, and it’s only slightly down from January of 2016 when the rate came in at 6.1 percent.

State Department of Employment Security spokesman Bob Gough said about 1,700 jobs were added in January.

“We actually saw some gains in construction which is not in the norm for January and also we had slight pickups in transportation, trade and utilities; had dropoff though in government and in professional business services,” Gough said.

State officials said if Illinois had grown at the same rate as the nation since the beginning of the recovery in 2010, the state would have nearly 223,000 more jobs.

The national unemployment rate for January came in at 4.8 percent.

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…