Unemployment in Illinois rose in September for a fifth straight month and hit 10 percent for the first time since August 2010.
The state Department of Employment Security on Thursday blamed continued weakness in consumer confidence across the country for the increase. The federal government earlier this month said national unemployment for September was 9.1 percent. That was unchanged from August. The state rate was 9.9 percent in August.
The Department of Employment Security says Illinois employers created 1,600 new jobs in September. But the number of unemployed people increased to 663,300. That's 10,500 more than in August.
The biggest job gains were among educational and health services employers, which added 4,900 jobs. Construction-related employers cut 3,000 jobs.