Unemployment in Evanston and across metro Chicago edged up in July.
For Evanston the rate rose from 8.2 percent in June to 8.3 percent in July. It was also up one-tenth of a percent from July a year ago, after falling earlier this year.
The statewide rate rose from 9.7 percent to 10 percent — still below the 10.5 percent of last July.
For the Chicago metro area, the rate in July was 10.3 percent, up from 10.2 percent in June, but down from 10.5 percent a year ago.
Fewer people were working in Evanston in July than in June — the number of workers with jobs fell to 39,362 — a drop of 230 from June. And the number of people looking for work grew, to 3,567 — up 39 from June.
Twenty-two of the nearly 100 towns in Illinois with more than 25,000 residents had lower jobless numbers than Evanston in July. The lowest rate, 5.7 percent, was in Highland Park. The next lowest rate in the Chicago metro area was Wilmette at 7.3 percent. In both those towns the jobless rate was up slightly from June.