McHenry County Unemployment Down, Jobs Up For July

Mchenry County's unemployment rate fell .3 percent in July to 8.3 percent according to the latest report from the Illinois Department of Employment Security Thursday.  The rate drop came from both an increase from June in county employment--468 added workers--and from an even larger decrease in the number of people looking for work--724 fewer.

The U.S. unemployment rate increased .2 percent in July to 8.5 percent while Illinois' unemployment rate was steady at 9.3 percent.  However, allowing for the usual Summer jobs gain, labor statisticians said the U.S. unemployment rate actually rose .1 percent in July to 8.2 percent while Illinois' rate rose .2 percent to 8.7 percent.  Adjusted figures aren't available at the county level.

Locally, IDES reported a .5 percent decrease in Algonquin's unemployment rate and a .4 percent drop in Lake in the Hills' rate.  Crystal Lake's unemployment rate fell only .2 percent according to the report but McHenry's rate also dropped .4 percent.

                          UNEMPLOYMENT (unadjusted)             
               REVISED    Jun 2012          PRELIMINARY Jul 2012               
               LABOR    UNEMPLOYED      LABOR   UNEMPLOYED      JUL 
               FORCE    NUMBER  RATE    FORCE   NUMBER    RATE  2011   
U.S. (X1000)   156,385  13,184   8.4    156,526   13,400   8.6   9.3    
ILLINOIS     6,668,293 619,979   9.3  6,666,947  618,016   9.3  10.4

MCHENRY COUNTY 178,378  15,413   8.6    178,222   14,789   8.3   9.5    
KANE COUNTY    279,558  25,716   9.2    278,932   24,361   8.7  10.4    
LAKE COUNTY    368,760  32,329   8.8    365,522   32,752   9.0   9.2
DUPAGE COUNTY  532,142  42,106   7.9    532,131   40,689   7.6   8.9

ALGONQUIN       17,147   1,495   8.7     17,107    1,411   8.2   9.7   
LITH            17,214   1,546   9.0     17,192    1,479   8.6   9.4    
CRYSTAL LAKE    22,390   1,997   8.9     22,401    1,950   8.7  10.0    
MCHENRY         15,592   1,418   9.1     15,568    1,353   8.7  10.3   

In the pic:  Comparative rates, adjusted for seasonal variation.