Illinois’ unemployment rate jumped to 9.5% in February
Job growth is also anemic in the state. Illinois added 12,400 jobs last month. Thats a growth rate of only 0.2 percent from the previous month.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced today that the Illinois unemployment rate for February was 9.5 percent. Two months ago it was 8.6 percent. During the same three-month period the nation?s unemployment rate has steadily decreased to 7.7 percent, its lowest level since January 2009.
Simply put, this means that when it comes to getting the unemployed back to work, Illinois is trailing the nation ? and its residents are the ones hurting because of it.