Illinois Unemployment Rate Falls Again In June

The state Department of Employment Security says Illinois unemployment dropped in June to 7.1 percent. It was the fourth straight monthly decrease in the state's jobless rate.

The June figure was down from 7.5 percent in May. And while Illinois' unemployment rate remains higher than most other states it has now fallen almost a full percentage point in the past two months.
 
The monthly employment report that the department released Thursday pointed out that construction employment increased across the state by 3,500 jobs.

But manufacturing jobs in the state continued to decline. Illinois lost a net 1,500 manufacturing jobs in June.
 
In all the state added 6,000 jobs for the month.
 
The federal government said earlier this month that the national unemployment rate fell to 6.1 percent in June.