The jobless rate in Evanston fell to 6.5 percent last month, down from 7 percent in November to its lowest level in nearly a year.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security says the Evanston’s workforce grew by 21 people to 41,664 in November, its first increase since June.
And 208 more people had jobs in November than the month before. The pool of people looking for work shrank from 2,902 in October to 2,715 in November.
The jobless rate across the Chicago metro area fell from 8.3 percent to 8.1 percent, while the rate for all of Illinois remained steady at 8.3 percent in November.
Of the roughly 100 communities in Illinois with more than 25,000 residents, 21 had jobless rates lower than Evanston in October — led by Glenview with a 5.3 percent rate, Northbrook with a 5.5 percent rate and Glen Ellyn with a rate of 5.6 percent.
The rate in Wilmette was 5.7 percent, while it was 6.7 percent in Skokie.