Jobless numbers throughout Illinois continue to decline. The latest figures from the Illinois Department of Employment Security show the unemployment rate of five point nine percent is about half of what it was at its peak, in 2009.
That could be a sign of a recovery.
But Republican Governor Bruce Rauner says it's the opposite. He says the rate is down because there are fewer jobs, and fewer residents trying to get them.
"We are losing our people, we're losing our jobs. That's gotta change, we need to grow."
Illinois' June unemployment rate was higher than the national one, and the state has 17,600 fewer people working than six months ago.
Although Rauner says his agenda will make Illinois competitive by decreasing businesses' and governments' costs ... Democrats say his plans will decrease wages, causing workers to go on welfare. That's at the heart of a stalemate that has left Illinois without a budget.
