At 9.3%, Illinois Unemployment Is Worst Among 10 Industrial States
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CHICAGO — Unemployment hit 9.3% in Illinois last month, the highest rate among industrial states. And with nearly one in 10 people out of work, the state’s economic future is looking dismal, officials said Friday.
“We are feeling the recession,” said Loleta Didrickson, director of the state Department of Employment Security. “Traditionally, Illinois is the last state to come in during a recession and the last to go out.”
December unemployment figures released Friday showed a jump in Illinois from 8.5% in November. The 9.3% rate compared with a national rate of 7.1%.
Among industrial states, Michigan followed Illinois at 9.1%. The other nine industrial states had unemployment rates below 9%, the Labor Department reported.
In Illinois, 565,000 people applied for unemployment claims, the highest number since February, 1986. The highest state unemployment figure was 13.2% in November, 1982.
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