Unemployment Report: Naperville Jobless Rate Increases Slightly

Unemployment rates in Illinois hit 10.5 percent in February, a slight increase over January and a percent point higher from the same time in 2012, according to new figures released last week. 

In Naperville, the unemployment rate rose 0.6 percent in February to 7.7 percent citywide. That is up from 7.1 percent in January and 6.4 percent in February 2012. The 0.6 percent increase was reflected evenly in both DuPage and Will County sections of the city, to a 7.5 percent unemployment rate in the DuPage part and 8.1 percent in the Will portion during February.

Specific numbers for Lisle were not included, because IDES generally reports unemployment figures for municipalities with populations of 25,000 or more people. The numbers measure unemployment for residents who live in a certain town, not those who work in the town. 

Statewide, the unemployment rate increased from 10.1 percent in January to 10.5 percent in February. Compared with February 2012, unemployment has risen 1 percent.

During the month of February, Illinois saw job growth in five metro areas and declines in seven metro areas, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Illinois Department of Employment Security.

While unemployment numbers have increased slightly in Illinois, the increase comes as the state added more than 12,400 jobs in February and more people sought work, according to officials with the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). 

"This is the counter-intuitive part of an economic recovery. If job creation is picking up, how can unemployment be picking up as well?" said IDES Director Jay Rowell in a news release. "Job growth gives workers who previously gave up their job search hope that they, too, will be hired. As such, they re-energize their work search, jump back into the labor force and push up the unemployment rate."

On April 1, Gov. Pat Quinn and the Cyber Aces Foundation announced the Illinois Governor's Cyber Challenge, a competition to fill jobs in the emerging cybersecurity workforce. The Cyber Challenge is designed to provide a pathway of learning and workforce training for Veterans and students.

The cyber initiative includes online training in cybersecurity at no cost to Illinois residents, a special Veterans Cyber Camp for the top performing Veterans and the championship competition to identify the state's top cyber talent for public and private sector opportunities, according to a news release.

The U.S. average unemployment rate was 8.1 percent in February 2013. 

DUPAGE COUNTY

Feb.

2013

Jan.

2013

Feb.

2012

% Change 

Over Month

% Change

Over Year

Bolingbrook

(DuPage Portion)

Downers Grove

Naperville

(DuPage Portion)

St. Charles

(DuPage Portion)