LaSalle County unemployment was at 5.4% in May, down from 6.4% in April and 7.3% in March. The Illinois Department of Employment Security says there were similar drops in Putnam and Bureau counties.
Putnam County’s rates were 6.2% in March, 5.4% in April, and 4.5% in May. Bureau County’s were 6.3% in March, 5.1% in April, and 4.2% in May. Grundy County was at 6.6% in March and dropped to 6.0% for April and May.
There are 3,800 more jobs in the LaSalle, Bureau, and Putnam counties region compared to a year ago. More than 1,600 are in the leisure-hospitality area. Construction and mining have 275 fewer jobs in this area.