The unemployment rate in the Quad-Cities fell to 7.2 percent in August, down from 7.5 percent for the same month in 2011, and was again the lowest among metropolitan areas in Illinois.

Unemployment dropped in 11 of 12 metro areas in the state in August, according to numbers released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security on Thursday. Decatur was the only metro area to show an increase. The Illinois jobless rate for August was 8.9 percent. Nationally, the rate for August was 8.2 percent.

Economic sectors that showed the most job growth in August were manufacturing, transportation, warehousing and utilities, according to the IDES.

Bloomington-Normal had the second lowest unemployment rate at 7.3 percent in August. The highest jobless rate was 11.7 percent in Rockford, although the rate was down from 13.8 percent a year ago.

"This economic cycle is filled with small up-and-down movements in the monthly data, and August shows falling unemployment rates in nearly every corner of our state," IDES Director Jay Rowell said. "While the uneven movements shadow the progress that we have made, stronger economic growth will occur when consumer confidence improves."

Monthly not seasonally adjusted jobless number released by the IDES are subject to revision and only include the unemployed who are actively looking for work.


August jobless rate

August jobless rate 2012 2011 
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island 7.2% 7.5% 
Bloomington-Normal 7.3% 7.8% 
Champaign-Urbana 8.8% 9.3% 
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville 8.8% 10.5%
Danville 11% 11.1%
Decatur 11.4% 11.2%
Kankakee-Bradley 11.4% 12.4%
Lake-Kenosha, IL-WI 8.8% 9.4%
Peoria 8% 9%
Rockford 11.7% 13.8%
Springfield 7.9% 8%
St. Louis (IL-Section) 9.4% 10.1%
Source: Illinois Department of Unemployment Security