Local unemployment rates have recovered to pre-pandemic levels. The Illinois Department of Employment Security says the LaSalle County rate was 4.6% in March 2020 before the business shutdowns. It was 4.5% last month.
In Bureau County, the March 2020 rate was 4.1%. The county was at 4.0% in September this year and 3.7% in October.
Putnam County’s rate was 4.6% in March 2020. It dropped to 4.6% in July this year, but is back down to 3.8% as of October.
Combining the three counties, they’re below the 4.5% rate reported in March last year. IDES reported 4.3% for last month.
These numbers don’t mean everyone who was working before the pandemic is working now and making as much money; rather, they just count the people who are looking for work.