Illinois continues to see increased initial unemployment claims. More than 13,000 more initial claims were filed last week than the week before for a total of 108,800. That brings the total of insured unemployed to 337,000. There are 175,000 contractors getting unemployment benefits in Illinois.

Unemployment numbers during December 2020 were up in local counties. Kankakee County lost 26-hundred jobs over the past year.  The December unemployment was 6.4%, up from 5.4 in 2019.  Iroquois County unemployment in December was 4.7 percent, up from 4.6 a year earlier.  Ford County was 4.6% in December, 4.1 in December 2019.  Vermilion County listed unemployment at 6.4 last mont compared to 5.2% in December 2019.  Illinois' unemployment in December was 7.5%, up from 3.5% in December 2019.

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