Jobless rates rise in all Illinois metro areas

Unemployment increased in January in all of Illinois' metropolitan areas, with three pushing into the double digits.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security says all 12 metro areas recorded their highest unemployment rates since the early 1990s as the recession deepened.

The department on Friday said unemployment in the Rockford area hit 13.7 percent in January, the highest level in Illinois and up from 8.3 percent a year earlier. The Kankakee-Bradley area had the second highest unemployment at 11.6 percent, while Danville was at 10.6 percent.

Bloomington-Normal had the lowest unemployment rate, at 6 percent. But that's still up almost 1 percent in the past year.

Unemployment across the state hit 7.9 percent in January. The national rate was 7.6 percent.