Illinois' unemployment rate fell to 8.7 percent in April, improving for the 15th consecutive month.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security released the new figures on Thursday.
- The April rate was down one-tenth of a percentage point from March and is the lowest jobless rate since February 2009, when it was 8.6 percent.
- Illinois added 9,900 jobs in April but there still were 575,300 Illinoisans without jobs.
- The national unemployment rate for April was up slightly, to 9 percent.
IDES Acting Director Theresa Larkin says the long-term trend shows that the state's economy "continues to steadily improve." But she says the rate could fluctuate up and down as the recovery continues.
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You might also be interested in NPR's series from reporter Tamara Keith about unemployment in St. Louis, "The Road Back To Work."