State Stix

THE state's general funds balance at the end of December was higher than November's, but the average daily available balance continued to fall as it has every month since July. In December the end-of-month balance was $308,194 million, up over $100 million from November; the average daily available balance was $281,635 million, down $44 million.

The national seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped a point in December to 6.9 percent; down from 7.4 percent in January 1985. Illinois' December seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 8.6 percent was a welcome change from 9.7 percent unemployment in November and October. According to the Department of Employment Security, the state's average unemployment rate in 1985 was 9.0 percent, slightly better than the projected figure of 9.1. Illinois' unemployment rate was 9.1 percent in 1984, 11.4 percent in 1983; 11.3 percent in 1982, 8.5 percent in 1981 and 8.3 percent in 1980.

December's retail sales were the main cause of the boost in the size of the state's work force and in the number of people holding jobs. Both had been deeply cut by bad weather in November. Besides the temporary Christmas spurt in employment, there were some permanent retail jobs created, but construction continued to decline in winter weather and there were layoffs in the coal mines. Illinois' civilian work force consisted of 5.693 million people in December; of these 5.201 million people had jobs, and 492,000 were looking for work.

The final October unemployment rates in the state's major metro areas were: Aurora-Elgin, 7.5 percent; Bloomington-Normal, 5.4 percent; Champaign-Urbana-Rantoul, 4.8 percent; Chicago, 8.7 percent; Davenport-Rock Island-Moline (Illinois sector), 12.3 percent; Decatur, 11.0 percent; Joliet, 8.2 percent; Kankakee, 11.5 percent; Lake County, 5.9 percent; Peoria, 11.0 percent; Rockford, 10.7 percent; Springfield, 6.6 percent; St. Louis (Illinois sector), 9.9 percent.

February 1986/Illinois Issues/47