Jobless rates fall in most Illinois metro areas
IDES says December unemployment rates down in most Illinois metro areas compared to Dec. 2011
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- December jobless rates fell in most of Illinois' metropolitan areas compared to the previous year.
Figures released Friday by the Illinois Department of Employment Security show that rates fell in nine of the state's 12 metro areas compared to December of 2011.
Bloomington-Normal had the lowest unemployment rate, at 6.3 percent, compared to 6.9 percent a year earlier
The Davenport-Moline-Rock Island area was second-lowest, at 7.1 percent, followed by Springfield at 7.2 percent, and Champaign-Urbana at 7.4 percent.
Unemployment fell to 11.2 percent in Rockford, 10.5 percent in Kankakee-Bradley, 8.6 percent in Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, 8.5 percent in the Lake County-Kenosha area and 8.3 percent in Illinois' St. Louis metro area.
Three metropolitan areas saw increases. Decatur was up to 11.8 percent, Danville to 10.4 percent and Peoria to 8.3 percent.
