State Stix

At the end of February, the balance in general funds was $293.93 million; the average daily available balance in general funds was $323.11 million; and the combined funds end-of-month balance was $447.42 million. The interest earned on deposits of state funds in January was $14.2 million, an increase over the $11.3 million earned in January 1983.

The final statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in February was 9.5 percent, with 532,000 persons unemployed. In January the unemployment rate was 9.9 percent; in December it was 9.6 percent; in November, 9.5 percent and in October, 9.7 percent. Final seasonally adjusted unemployment rates in December in the state's Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas were: Bloomington-Normal, 7.3 percent; Champaign-Urbana-Rantoul, 6.0 percent; Chicago, 8.5 percent; Davenport-Rock Island-Moline (Illinois sector), 14.0 percent; Decatur, 11.3 percent; Kankakee, 13.9 percent; Peoria, 12.7 percent; Rockford, 10.3 percent; Springfield, 7.4 percent; and St. Louis (Illinois sector) 10.5 percent.

Construction activity rose steadily in the state during 1983, but employment of construction workers continued to decline; average employment of 149,300 workers during 1983 was 4.3 percent below the 1982 level; 10.9 percent below the 1981 level; and 20.8 percent below the 188,400 construction workers employed in 1980.

38/April 1984/Illinois Issues