Hiring was up and unemployment went down in the Peoria area from June 2016-June 2017, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Dep. of Employment Security.
The department says unemployment fell from 6.2 percent in June 2016 to 5.5 percent. Tazewell, Woodford, Stark and McClean Counties showed similar declines in unemployment, around one percent.
Peoria also saw an increase in net non-farming jobs added, around 1,400. The Department reports that the business, hospitality and construction sectors saw the most gains. The most job losses were reported in retail and educational and health services.
The Illinois Dept. of Employment Security says unemployment declined in all of the state’s metropolitan areas in the past year.