General funds

The general funds end-of month balance in October was $124.677 million. The average daily available balance was $134.798 million.
Source: Office of the Comptroller.

Jobless rates down

The national seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 7.4 percent in October from September's 7.5 percent. In Illinois the seasonally adjusted rate fell to 5.5 percent from 6.7 percent in September. Employment increased for the third straight month and is up 250,000 over a year ago.

In October the state's civilian work force consisted of 6.097 million people (11,000 fewer than in September). Of these, 5.760 million people were working (64,000 more than in September); 337,000 people were unemployed in October (75,000 fewer than than in September).
Source: Department of Employment Security.

Metro area unemployment rates

During September, Bloomington-Normal, Lake County and Champaign-Urbana set all-time employment records. The unemployment rate declined in all metre areas of the state except Kankakee where it remained the same. The September unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) in the state's metro areas were:

Aurora-Elgin PMSA (Kane and Kendall counties), 6.2 percent (down 0.4 percent).
Bloomington-Normal MSA (McLean County), 3.5 percent (down 0.5 percent).
Champaign-Urbana-Rantoul MSA (Champaign County), 3.7 percent (down 0.6 percent).
Chicago PMSA (Cook, DuPage and McHenry counties), 6,2 percent (down 0.2 percent).
Davenport-Rock Island-Moline MSA, Illinois portion (Henry and Rock Island counties), 7.5 percent (down 0.5 percent).
Decatur MSA (Macon County), 7.5 percent (down 0.9 percent).
Joliet PMSA (Grundy and Will counties), 6.3 percent (down 0.5 percent).
Kankakee MSA (Kankakee County), 7.0 percent (no change).
Lake County PMSA, 3.7 percent (down 0.2 percent).
Peoria MSA (Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties), 6.0 percent (down 0.4 percent).
Rockford MSA (Boone and Winnebago counties), 7.0 percent (down 0.4 percent).
Springfield MSA (Menard and Sangamon counties), 4.3 percent (down 0.2 percent).
St. Louis MSA, Illinois portion (Clinton, Jersey, Madison, Monroe and St. Clair counties), 6.3 percent (down 0.9 percent).
Source: Same as above. Margaret S. Knoepfle

December 1992/Illinois Issues/35