Tom Austin from the Illinois Department of Employment Security says most employers in this area were hiring in July, and that inspired some unemployed people to resume looking for jobs.
"So what we see sometimes in the labor force, especially during the summer when there are employment opportunities, people who may not have been looking re-enter the labor force. And sometimes that does push up the unemployment rate when those people re-enter the labor force and start looking for work."
To be counted as unemployed, you must be out of work AND looking for a job.
The number of people employed in the Quad Cities rose by 1,800 during the past year - with gains in leisure and hospitality, education and health, government, and manufacturing. Jobs were lost though in construction, retail, and professional and business services.
Galesburg reported the highest unemployment rate in our area in July at 6.8 per cent followed by Bureau County at 6.7 per cent. The lowest rates were 4.3 per cent in Mercer County and 4.5 in Henderson County.