State Stix

General funds

In February the general funds end-of-month balance was $93.245 million. The average daily available balance was $104.956 million. This balance was possible only because the state was holding $463 million in bills and delayed $135 million in transfers due other state funds. Outside of general funds, the state borrowed $500 million in February to accelerate payments for services provided under Medicaid.

Source: Office of the Comptroller.

Unemployment rates

In February the national seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 7.3 percent, up from 7.1 percent in January. Illinois' was 8.5 percent, up from 8.3 percent in January, putting Illinois fifth in unemployment among the most populous states: Michigan, 9.0 percent; New York, 8.9 percent; California, 8.7 percent; and Florida, 8.6 percent.

The state's February labor force consisted of 6.094 million people, down by 30,000 from January. There were 5.573 million people with jobs, down by 46,000, and 521,000 people were looking for work, up by 16,000. In February 1991 the state's unemployment rate was 6.0 percent, and 362,000 people were looking for work.

Source: Department of Employment Security.

Metro area unemployment

January unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) in the state's metro areas were:

Aurora-Elgin (Kane and Kendall counties), 9.8 percent.

Bloomington-Normal (McLean County), 5.9 percent.

Champaign-Urbana-Rantoul (Champaign County), 5.9 percent.

Chicago (Cook, DuPage and McHenry counties), 8.4 percent.

Davenport - Rock Island - Moline, Illinois portion (Henry and Rock Island counties), 10.1 percent.

Decatur (Macon County), 11.3 percent.

Joliet (Grundy and Will counties), 10.8 percent.

Kankakee (Kankakee County), 11.1 percent.

Lake County, 6.3 percent.

Peoria (Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties), 9.2 percent.

Rockford (Boone and Winnebago counties), 10.2 percent.

Springfield (Menard and Sangamon counties), 6.8 percent.

St. Louis, Illinois portion (Clinton, Jersey, Madison, Monroe and St. Clair counties), 10.6 percent.

Source: Same as above.

Margaret S. Knoepfle

28/April 1992/Illinois Issues