Illinois Unemployment Down, But Still Above 11 Percent

A man looks at the closed sign in front of Illinois Department of Employment Security in Chicago, Wednesday, April 15, 2020. With half-a-million people bounced out of jobs in the past month because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Illinois’ unemployment safety net has been stretched to the limit. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Illinois’ unemployment rate fell last month, but the state is still short by a half-million jobs compared to this time last year. The latest numbers from the Illinois Department of Employment Security show the state’s jobless rate fell to just over 11-percent last month. That’s good news. But there is also bad news. The numbers show Illinois has lost 500-thousand jobs since July of 2019.