The Illinois Department of Employment Security says the unemployment rate fell -0 .1 percentage point to 4.4 percent, while nonfarm payrolls increased by 31,200 in July.
In July, the industry sectors with the largest over-the-month gains in employment include: Professional and Business Services, Manufacturing and Trade, and Transportation and Utilities.
The industry sectors that reported monthly payroll declines include: Construction and Educational and Health Services .
The states unemployment rate was +0.9 percentage point higher than the national unemployment rate reported for July, which was 3.5 percent, down -0.1 percentage point from the previous month.
The Illinois unemployment rate was down -1.8 percentage points from a year ago when it was at 6.2 percent.
Compared to a year ago, nonfarm payroll employment increased by +236,600 jobs, with gains across nearly all major industries.