County unemployment rate steadies
By KRISTEN SCHMIDT kschmidt@shawsuburban.com
DeKALB – The unemployment rate in DeKalb County remained essentially flat between August and September.
That's good news, said Paul Borek, executive director of the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation.
"We're pleased that unemployment is at least stable," Borek said.
County unemployment rates for September were released Thursday by the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Statistics for counties, cities and other "sub-state" entities are derived from national unemployment statistics; they're not the result of local surveys.
DeKalb County's near-flat rate is in step with what EDC members are saying about business, Borek said.
Local employers are not planning further layoffs, Borek said. They've cut costs, and "most seem to have reached stabilization," he said.
Unemployment in the county continues to stray from the 10.4 percent high reached in July. The rate fell to 9.1 percent in August, which was lower than initial estimates. Nationally, the rate in September was a seasonally adjusted 9.8 percent.
Among 102 Illinois counties, DeKalb has the 69th highest unemployment rate. It's a far cry from nearby Winnebago County, where unemployment climbed slightly from August to a September rate of 15.5 percent.
Unemployment rates in nearby counties
Boone County
September: 13.8
August: 14.2
DeKalb County
September: 9.2
August: 9.1
Kane County
September: 9.9
August: 9.7
LaSalle County
September: 12.4
August: 12.3
Lee County
September: 10.9
August: 10.9
McHenry County
September: 9.3
August: 9.1
Ogle County
September: 11.9
August: 11.9
Winnebago County
September: 15.5
August: 15.2
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