Although the economy is still much in its recovery phase, the unemployment level in the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet area dropped to 8.6 percent in December. While Chicago Business reports that overall unemployment declined to 8.8 percent in Illinois, the official report from the Illinois Department of Economic Security indicates that the level of unemployment is currently at 9.3 percent. Whatever the state-wide unemployment level is, the unemployment rate is on a declining trend. more ›

Today the U.S. Department of Labor released a report showing that the national unemployment rate reached 7.2 percent in December, the highest since 1993. Illinois' unemployment was 7.3 percent in November, and the state has consistently held a higher unemployment rate than the nation's average. The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) will release a report on December's statistics on January 23. In December, IDES reported that unemployment rates were surging in all Illinois cities. They recorded unemployment in November 2008 at 6.3 percent for Chicagoland, compared with 4.6 percent in November 2007. more ›