State July Jobless Rate at 4.4%

The Illinois unemployment rate for July was at 4.4%, down .1% from the June rate.

The number of jobs in the state increased by 31,200 during the month.

In July, industry sectors with the largest over the month gains in employment were professional and business services; manufacturing; and trade, transportation and utilities. The sectors that reported monthly payroll declines included construction and educational and health services.

The state's July unemployment rate was .9% higher than the national rate of 3.5%. The Illinois jobless rate was down 1.8% from a year earlier, when it was at 6.2%.