Evanston’s jobless rate rose sharply in June as would-be summer jobseekers joined the workforce.
Figures released this noon by the Illinois Department of Employment Security show that the jobless rate rose from 3.4 percent in May to 4.2 percent in June.
The number of people with jobs grew by 479, but the number of people looking for but unable to find work increased by 354.
That pattern was seen throughout the Chicago metro area, where the jobless rate rose from 4.1 percent in May to 4.9 percent in June and in the state as a whole, where the rate rose from 4.3 percent to 5.0 percent.
Evanston’s jobless rate for June is still far below its average of 6.6 percent for June over the past five years.
Twenty-six of the 107 Illinois communities with more than 25,000 residents had jobless rates lower than Evanston’s in June. That was up from 25 in May.
The state’s lowest jobless rate last month was 3.6 percent in Highland Park, Vernon Hills and Wheeling.
Glenview and Wilmette were at 3.8 percent. Oak Park was at 4.3 percent and Skokie was at 4.4 percent.