Champaign, Ill.
(AP) -- The state Department of Employment Security says Illinois unemployment rose to 9 percent in
January.
That was up from 8.7 percent in December
and back to almost the 9.1 percent rate of January 2012.
Department Director Jay Rowell blamed the
uneven recovery the state has experienced since the recession.
The number of unemployed people in the
state rose by 4 percent to 594,800. The state added a relatively small 7,100
jobs in January.
The biggest job losses were among
companies in the trade, transportation and utilities sector where the state
lost a net 5,500 jobs in January. Government agencies also shed a net 1,500
jobs. Educational and health services employers added 5,500 jobs.
The U.S. unemployment rate was 7.9
percent in January. That was slightly higher than December.
