LaSalle, Bureau, and Putnam counties gained 250 non-farm payroll jobs over the last year. The Illinois Department of Employment Security reports educational and health services were down 250; trades, transportation, and utilities were down 175; and professional-business services lost 125 jobs. Job numbers were up by 250 in manufacturing, 225 in leisure and hospitality, and 200 in government.
The local unemployment figures from April this year are mostly better than April last year’s. IDES says the figure dropped from 6.0% to 5.5% in LaSalle County. It dropped from 4.9% to 4.7% in Bureau County. Putnam County’s rate climbed from 5.1% to 5.2%. The three counties’ combined rate dropped from 5.7% to 5.3%. Grundy County also improved from 5.3% to 3.5%.
IDES says all the numbers in April this year were down from March. Those figures were 5.7% in LaSalle County, 5.1% in Bureau, 5.4% in Putnam, and 4.1% in Grundy.