State unemployment hits record low in January

Unemployment in Illinois dropped to a record low 3.5 percent in January, the Illinois Department of Employment Security announced Thursday.

The unemployment rate fell two tenths of a percentage point during the month, while nonfarm payrolls added 16,600 jobs, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and released by IDES.

The number of unemployed workers - those who are out of work and seeking employment - decreased 3.6 percent to 227,700 from December, 2019, and was down 19.6 percent over the same period last year.

The unemployment rate was also one tenth of a percentage point lower than the national average of 3.6 percent, marking the first time since November 2010 that the state's unemployment rate was lower than the national rate.

The three-month average payroll employment, which IDES officials said provides a more stable measure of payroll employment change, was up 5,800 jobs during the November to January three-month period, compared to the October to December three-month period. The largest average gains were found in trade, transportation and utilities, up 2,100 jobs, educational and health services, up 2,100, and leisure and hospitality, up 1,600.

The January figures do not reflect any economic impact caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus, which occurred after the data were tabulated.