SPRINGFIELD – County unemployment numbers were released Thursday by the Illinois Department of Employment Security, and area counties saw a two to three percent decrease for the month of May. LaSalle County recorded an unemployment rate of 15.6%, and while it is the 15th highest rate in the state, it is still an improvement over April’s 18.4%. Bureau and Putnam Counies had lower unemployment rates than April as well. The lowest rate in the area was logged by Livingston County, with an unemployment rate of 9.7%, one of the best in the state. The Illinois unemployment rate for May was 15 percent, while the rate for the nation as a whole is 13%
Data for area counties can be found below:
(Not Seasonally Adjusted)
County May 2020 April 2020
- Bureau 11.6% 13.7%
- DeKalb 13.3% 15.1%
- Grundy 13.8% 17.0%
- LaSalle 15.6% 18.4%
- Lee 11.4% 15.2%
- Livingston 9.7% 12.2%
- Marshall 11.4% 14.8%
- Putnam 12.3% 16.7%
