Online Staff Report

Rockford’s unemployment rate dropped 0.4 percentage points to 12.5 percent in the past year, but remains the highest among the state’s 12 metropolitan areas.

According to data released Jan. 26 by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), the Rockford metropolitan area gained 500 jobs between December 2010 and December 2011.

The percentage decrease in the unemployment rate for Rockford was the second-highest decrease among all metropolitan areas, trailing only the 0.6 drop registered by the Peoria metropolitan area.

The December 2011 unemployment rate in Illinois was 9.3 percent and 12.1 percent at its peak in this economic cycle in January 2010.

Nationally, the unemployment rate was 8.3 percent in December 2011 and 10.6 percent in January 2010 at its peak.

The unemployment rate identifies those who are out of work and looking for work and is not tied to collecting unemployment insurance benefits. Illinois added 43,300 new jobs in 2010 and 52,600 in 2011.

IDES Director Jay Rowell said: “Today’s data tells us a familiar story. Overall, the Illinois economy is moving forward despite the uneven nature of the national recovery. Overall job growth continues to improve despite monthly fluctuations in the unemployment rate and the number of jobs created, which has become the hallmark of this economic cycle.”

Following are the unemployment rates, from lowest to highest, for all 12 metropolitan areas (December 2010 unemployment rates in parentheses):

1. Bloomington-Normal, 7 percent (6.8 percent)

2. Springfield, 7.5 percent (7 percent)

3. Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, 7.8 percent (7.8 percent)

4. Champaign-Urbana, 7.9 percent (7.8 percent)

5. Peoria, 8.1 percent (8.7 percent)

6 (tie). Lake (Illinois)/Kenosha (Wisconsin), 9.3 percent (9.4 percent); and Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, 9.3 percent (8.6 percent)

8. St. Louis, 9.7 percent (9 percent)

9. Decatur, 10.2 percent (10.2 percent)

10. Danville, 10.3 percent (10.4 percent)

11. Kankakee-Bradley, 11.4 percent (11.7 percent)

12. Rockford, 12.5 percent (12.9 percent)

Following are the total job gains and losses, from highest to lowest, for all 12 metropolitan areas (December 2011 and December 2010 job totals in parentheses):

1. Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, plus 12,800 (3,664,200 in 2011, 3,651,400 in 2010)

2. Peoria, plus 8,600 (188,300 in 2011, 179,700 in 2010)

3. Lake (Illinois)/Kenosha (Wisconsin), plus 3,400 (377,400 in 2011, 374,000 in 2010)

4. Kankakee-Bradley, plus 2,000 (45,400 in 2011, 43,400 in 2010)

5. St. Louis, plus 700 (231,400 in 2011, 230,700 in 2010)

6. Springfield, plus 600 (113,500 in 2011, 112,900 in 2010)

7. Rockford, plus 500 (145,600 in 2011, 145,100 in 2010)

8. Bloomington-Normal, even (91,000 in 2011, 91,000 in 2010)

9. Danville, minus 100 (28,900 in 2011, 29,000 in 2010)

10 (tie). Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, minus 600 (179,500 in 2011, 180,100 in 2010); and Decatur, minus 600 (52,400 in 2011, 53,000 in 2010)

12. Champaign-Urbana, minus 1,600 (107,600 in 2011, 109,200 in 2010)