CHICAGO (AP) - The state Department of Employment Security says unemployment decreased in Illinois in August, the fourth-straight monthly drop.
But state officials were not celebrating the drop in the unemployment rate to 5.5 percent from 5.8 percent in July.
Instead on Thursday department Director Jeff Mays noted that the state also lost jobs in August. According to the department's monthly report on statewide unemployment, nonfarm jobs in Illinois decreased from 6,016,900 to 6,008,700.
Percentage wise the decrease is very small, far less than 1 percent. But the loss of 8,200 jobs included a drop of 4,400 manufacturing jobs.
The labor force also decreased .3 percent in August.
The federal government said earlier this month that the national jobless rate held steady in August at 4.9 percent for the third consecutive month.
