Area jobless rate steady in Aug.

By Sean F. Driscoll

BusinessRockford.com

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ROCKFORD — August saw little change in the Rockford metro area’s employment situation, with both the number of jobs and jobless staying relatively flat since July.

The August unemployment rate in Boone and Winnebago counties was 15.1 percent, or 27,121 people, according to data released Thursday by the Illinois Department of Employment Security. That’s up 0.1 percentage point from July and 5.4 percentage points from a year ago. July’s previously released figures were revised to reflect a 15 percent unemployment rate in the Rockford metro area.

The manufacturing sector saw a 3.8 percent increase in jobs as the Belvidere Chrysler Group LLC restarted production in late July after a two-month break. Other industries either remained flat or were within a few hundred jobs of last month’s figures.

This summer saw a bump in unemployment when students seeking summer work were largely stymied by a tight job market, but the end of that effect won’t show up until the September numbers are released. Although teachers are now back to work and summer-job hunters are back in class, the August data was gathered early in the month when most people were still out of school and looking for work.

Tom Austin, an IDES labor market analyst, said the end of summer will bring some job losses as well, as seasonal hiring in construction and recreation-related activities comes to a close.

Reach staff writer Sean F. Driscoll at 815-987-1346 or sdriscoll@rrstar.com.

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