Local unemployment continues to fall

LaSalle, Bureau, and Putnam County unemployment rates fell again this past month. The Illinois Department of Employment Security says the unemployment rate in LaSalle County fell from 5.9% in March to 5.2% in April. Bureau was from 5.4% to 4.6%. Putnam was from 5.4% to 4.7%. All three counties combined fell from 5.8% to 5.0%. The biggest increase was in leisure in hospitality and government while the biggest losses were in professional businesses services and education. Non-farm payroll jobs also went up. Grundy County had the biggest drop in unemployment going from 5.0% in March to 3.5% in April.