Illinois Jobs - Stimulus Could Help

There might be good news around the corner if you're looking for an Illinois job.

If President Barack Obama's proposed stimulus plan passes, it could create or save 158,000 jobs in Illinois during the next two years, according to a report released by the White House. The stimulus plan is expected to create or save between 3 million and 4 million jobs throughout the country during the next two years.

Along with much of the rest of the nation, the State of Illinois could use the help, as it has lost several jobs recently. Illinois had an unemployment rate of 7.6 percent during December 2008, up from 7.3 percent during November 2008 and higher than the national unemployment rate of 7.2 percent.

Illinois had a total non-farm employment of 5,885,800 workers during December, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 5,921,800 workers during November and a 1.7 percent decrease from last year.

The industries throughout Illinois that saw an over-the-year decrease in employment during December included:

• construction by 12.7 percent
• manufacturing by 2.7 percent
• trade, transportation and utilities by 1.3 percent
• information by 2.2 percent
• financial activities by 2.4 percent
• professional and business services by 1.1 percent
• leisure and hospitality by 1.6 percent
• other services by 3.2 percent

The only industries that saw an over-the-year increase in jobs during December were natural resources and mining by 3.1 percent and education and health services by .8 percent. The government industry employed 852,300 workers during December, the same as during 2007.