The Illinois Department of Employment Security claims job growth continues or is unchanged in many metropolitan areas of the state.
But with that, unemployment continues to go up as well.
Not seasonally adjusted federal data provided by the state indicates Knox County’s unemployment average in June went up nine tenths of a percentage point from the same period a year ago, to 6.4%.
For just the City of Galesburg, it’s up to an even 7% from 6.1 in June of 2023.
The labor force also went up during that period.
Other area counties also saw increases in their jobless averages.
The state says among the labor sectors seeing growth statewide in that period were Government and Private Education and Health Services.
Local unemployment averages June, 2024 (and change from June, 2023):
Galesburg City: 7.0% (+0.9)
Galesburg Micropolitan Statistical Area: 6.4% (+0.9)
Knox County: 6.4% (+0.9)
Fulton County: 6.0% (+0.7)
Henderson County: 4.5% (+0.6)
Henry County: 6.0% (+1.0)
McDonough County: 6.8% (+1.1)
Mercer County: 5.8% (+1.4)
Peoria County: 6.5% (+1.0)
Warren County: 5.4% (+1.1)
Illinois: 6.1% (+1.3)
United States: 4.3% (+0.5)