General funds

The general funds end-of month balance in September was $130.997 million. The average daily available balance was $75.991 million.
Source: Office of the Comptroller.

State jobless rate up

The national seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 7.5 percent in September from August's 7.6 percent. In Illinois the seasonally adjusted rate rose two points to 6.7 percent from 6.5 percent in August.

In September the state's civilian work force consisted of 6.108 million people (57,000 more than in August). Of these, 5.696 million people were working (41,000 more than in August and a record for the month, topping by 28,000 a previous record set in September 1989); 412,000 people were unemployed (16,000 more than in August).
Source: Department of Employment Security.

Metro area unemployment rates

During August jobless rates fell in all of the state's metro areas except the Quad Cities: Davenport, Rock Island, Moline (Illinois sector). The August unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) in the state's metro areas were:

Aurora-Elgin PMSA (Kane and Kendall counties), 6.6 percent (down 1.7 percent).

Bloomington-Normal MSA (McLean County), 4.0 percent (down 1.4 percent).

Champaign-Urbana-Rantoul MSA (Champaign County), 4.3 percent (down 1.1 percent).

Chicago PMSA (Cook, DuPage and McHenry counties), 6.4 percent (down 1.4 percent).

Davenport-Rock Island-Moline MSA, Illinois portion (Henry and Rock Island counties), 8.1 percent (up 0.1 percent).

Decatur MSA (Macon County), 8.4 percent (down 2.0 percent).

Joliet PMSA (Grundy and Will counties), 6.8 percent (down 2.0 percent).

Kankakee MSA (Kankakee County), 7.0 percent (down 1.8 percent).

Lake County PMSA, 3.9 percent (down 1.0 percent).

Peoria MSA (Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties), 6.4 percent (down 1.5 percent).

Rockford MSA (Boone and Winnebago counties), 7.4 percent (down 2.1 percent).

Springfield MSA (Menard and Sangamon counties), 4.5 percent (down 1.2 percent).

St. Louis MSA, Illinois portion (Clinton, Jersey, Madison, Monroe and St. Clair counties), 7.1 percent (down 1.9 percent).
Source: Same as above.

Margaret S. Knoepfle

32/November 1992/Illinois Issues