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Economy

Unemployment Fell in July

Unemployment in the Quad Cities fell sharply during the past year - to 5 per cent in July from 9.8 per cent at this time a year ago.

Tom Austin from the Illinois Department of Employment Security says this area lost about 200 jobs in the financial activities and information sectors, but gained 7,500 jobs in leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, construction, and government.

"The increases we're finding in Leisure and Hospitality are typically what we see. When we look at the Construction sector that's also what we expect. When we look at Government - that one fluctuates depending on when the school years get out and when the summer holidays start."

Despite the big decline in unemployment compared to a year ago when the pandemic started, it's been moving up and down in recent months - after falling steadily from January through May, when it fell to 5 per cent, it bounced up to 5.7 per cent in June, and then back down to 5 per cent in July.

In Illinois last month, unemployment rates fell in all 14 metro areas compared to a year ago, and the number of jobs increased in all but one.

Economy
A native of Detroit, Herb Trix began his radio career as a country-western disc jockey in Roswell, New Mexico (“KRSY, your superkicker in the Pecos Valley”), in 1978. After a stint at an oldies station in Topeka, Kansas (imagine getting paid to play “Louie Louie” and “Great Balls of Fire”), he wormed his way into news, first in Topeka, and then in Freeport Illinois.