Local unemployment held nearly steady from October to November. The Illinois Department of Employment Security says the rate for LaSalle, Bureau, and Putnam counties combined went from 4.3% to 4.4%. The year-ago November rate was 5.9%.
Despite the lower figure, there are fewer jobs available in the region than a year ago. IDES says the number of jobs in the three counties dropped by 675.
Looking to the more heavily populated Chicago and suburbs region, there are 141,000 more jobs there in most economic sectors.