Jobless Rates Fall in All Illinois Metro Areas in July

The Illinois Department of Employment Security said Thursday that the jobless rate fell in every metro area last month. That was the 17th straight month of across-the-board declines.

But in its monthly report the department said only eight of the 15 metro areas it tracks added jobs.

The department said earlier this month that statewide unemployment was 5.9 percent in July.

Unemployment fell in the Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights area from 7.4 percent in July 2014 to 6.1 percent last month.

The Bloomington area had the lowest jobless rate in July at 4.7 percent. But the area is bracing for the closure of a Mitsubishi auto plant in November.

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