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This morning, the BLS released preliminary June 2010 unemployment figures for the 50 states (and Washington, DC), as well as 4 Census Regions and 9 Census Divisions. Unemployment rates in Chicago and the surrounding state and region continued to fall from a March 2010 peak. There were an estimated 416,700 Chicago area residents unemployed in a civilian labor force of 4.1 million for the month. The jobless rate in the 8-county Chicago Metro Division decreased to 10.2%, down from May's rate of 10.5% and slightly lower than the statewide seasonally adjusted rate of 10.4% in June. In related news, the Senate approved a $34 billion extension of unemployment benefits today that is expected to be signed into law later this week.
The following chart summarizes the trend in monthly unemployment rates for Illinois, the East North Central and Chicago Metropolitan Divisions, and the Midwest Region, while the map illustrates the geographic range and proximity of preliminary state unemployment rates. (Note: all figures cited below are seasonally adjusted).
Monthly Unemployment Rate, June 2009-June 2010, Seasonally Adjusted
Unemployment Rates by State, June 2010, Seasonally Adjusted
East North Central Division
(includes 5 states: IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)
- Decrease in unemployment rate from 10.9% in May 2010 to 10.6% in June 2010
Illinois
- The number of unemployed decreased by 26,900 from 720,800 in May 2010 to a preliminary figure of 693,900 in June 2010, resulting in a preliminary unemployment rate of 10.4%.
- Illinois was one of 7 states that experienced the largest unemployment rate decreases (-0.5 percentage point) from May 2010 to June 2010, seasonally adjusted.
Chicago-Naperville-Joliet Metropolitan Division
(includes 8 IL counties: Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, McHenry, Will; excludes Lake County)
- Decrease in the number of unemployed from 431,100 in May 2010 to 416,700 in June 2010, resulting in a decrease in unemployment rate to 10.2%
- 0.1 percentage points lower than the rate 12 months earlier in June 2009
Midwest Region
(includes 12 states: IL, IN, MI, OH, WI, IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD)
- Decrease in unemployment rate from 9.7% in May 2010 to 9.5% in June 2010
- Lower rate than West (10.7%); higher rate than South (9.2%) & Northeast (8.8%)
The full press release can be found on the BLS website.
