April jobless rates fall in most Ill. metro areas

April jobless rates fall in most Illinois metro areas

Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) -- Officials say unemployment decreased during April in nine of Illinois' 12 metro areas.

The state Department of Employment Security said Thursday that unemployment rates fell in the Illinois suburbs of St. Louis, Rockford, and Kankakee-Bradley compared with April 2012. Unemployment rose in the Chicago area, Decatur and Peoria.

The department said earlier this month that statewide unemployment improved slightly in April, dipping to 9.3 percent compared to 9.5 percent in March.

The highest jobless rate was 10.3 percent in Decatur. The lowest was 5.8 percent in Bloomington-Normal.