The jobless rate in Evanston declined last month — but only because more people stopped looking for work.
The jobless rate in Evanston declined last month — but only because more people stopped looking for work.
The number of of people with jobs fell by 137 while the number of people looking for work declined by 168.
Overall the number of people in Evanston's workforce stood at 42,059 in August, down by 305 from July.
The unemployment rate stood at 7.7 percent, down from 8.1 percent in July, but up from 7.2 percent a year ago.
The jobless rate across the Chicago metro area also declined, from 9.6 to 9.1 percent — also a result of a drop in the number of people looking for work. The statewide rate fell from 9.5 to 9.0 percent.
Of the roughly 100 communities in Illinois with more than 25,000 residents 35 had jobless rates lower than Evanston last month — led by Highland Park with a 5.6 percent rate and Wilmette at 6.2 percent.
