The Illinois Department of Employment Security says unemployment saw a decrease in Illinois in August, the fourth-straight monthly drop, but state officials are not celebrating.
While the jobless rate dropped from 5.8 to 5.5 percent last month, Department of Employment director Jeff Mays says Illinois also lost jobs in August.
According to the department’s monthly report on statewide unemployment, nonfarm jobs in Illinois decreased by more than 8,200 jobs. Percentage wise, the decrease is less than 1 percent, but the lost includes a drop of 4,400 manufacturing jobs.
The national jobless rate held steady last month at 4.9 percent for the third consecutive month.
