Local unemployment dropped from August to September. The Illinois Department of Employment Security says the LaSalle County rate went from 5.0% to 4.5%. Bureau County’s went from 4.3% to 3.8%. Putnam County’s was 4.7% and dropped to 4.1%. All three combined fell from 4.8% to 4.3%. Grundy County, not included in the same region, also dropped. It was 4.3% in August and 4.1% in September.
There are 300 fewer jobs in the LaSalle-Bureau-Putnam counties region now compared to a year ago. Unemployment is still down from a year ago. That means even more people have left the workforce. The Illinois Department of Employment Security says the September 2021 unemployment rate for the region was 4.6%. It was 4.3% in September this year.