Illinois jobless rate rises to 10.4 percent

Illinois' jobless rate rose to 10.4 percent in July even though the pace of job losses is slowing.

That's up slightly from 10.3 percent in June.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security released the new figures Thursday. They show the state lost another 13,000 jobs in July, bringing the number of unemployed statewide to 692,500.

IDES Director Maureen O'Donnell says the state's economy must go through several phases before it sees job growth.

The U.S. jobless rate dropped to 9.4 percent in July, from 9.5 percent the previous month. Employers also laid off far fewer workers nationally and workers' hours and pay edged upward.

Unemployment rates for Illinois' metropolitan areas will be released next week.