As November nears, the state’s unemployment reports become increasingly potent in the closely watched Illinois governor’s race, and are likely to provide the candidates with much-needed political ammunition — depending on the numbers.
For Gov. Pat Quinn, word of August’s unemployment rate brings good news for the sixth consecutive month. The jobless number fell to 6.7 percent from 6.8 percent in July, according to the seasonally adjusted preliminary figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
About 13,800 new jobs were created last month, a modest uptick from the 10,300 total nonfarm jobs added in July. That’s 40,600 more jobs than one year ago. Unemployment data does not take into account people who have dropped out of the workforce or those currently collecting jobless benefits. Only individuals who are unemployed but actively searching for work are reflected in the monthly figures.
“Five months of job creation coupled with increased help-wanted advertising indicate a bit of momentum as we head into the Fall,” IDES Director Jay Rowell. “It is not surprising that fewer people are looking for work given retirement trends, although it does underscore that more needs to be done to give the long-term unemployed the skills necessary to secure meaningful employment.”
Industries that gained jobs:
- Leisure and Hospitality: +5,000
- Trade, Transportation and Utilities: +4,300
- Professional and Business Services: +3,300
Industries that lost jobs:
- Other Services: -1,800
- Education and Health Services: -1,700
- Financial Activities: -300
(Click to enlarge)
There is no question any Illinois unemployment report leading up to the election, whether favorable or not, will be accompanied with some serious spin. Quinn has consistently sent the message that the state is “making a comeback.” Here’s what he had to say today through his Twitter account.
Bashing Quinn on inert job creation has been a central component of Rauner’s campaign platform. But five months of employment gains have taken away some of that fodder, requiring Rauner to revise his rhetoric. Rauner has credited a shrinking workforce for the declining unemployment rate, and says stronger job growth among our Midwestern neighbors is proof of Quinn’s failed economic policies.
“It’s always good news when more Illinoisans are working. Unfortunately, we still have a huge ways to go to get out of the massive hole that’s been dug in our state by the Quinn-Madigan-Blagojevich machine,” Rauner said in response to August’s jobless report. “We need to put our economy on jet fuel, and under Pat Quinn it’s struggling along on leaded gas. It took eight months to add a single job this year.”
The Illinois Republican Party also issued a statement, alleging “Quinn’s own Illinois Department of Employment Security” is casting jobs figures in a way that favors the governor.
“Economic recovery in Illinois isn’t going to start until Pat Quinn is no longer Governor of Illinois, and he knows it,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider in a statement. “That’s because Quinn puts a higher priority on political patronage hires for his friends and allies than he does the hundreds of thousands of middle-class workers who are out of a job in Quinn’s stagnant economy.”
“Gov. Quinn’s tenure as governor has been job-killing tax hikes, broken state budgets, corruption, and scandal. It’s no wonder businesses are worried about Illinois, and no wonder we continue to fall further behind our neighbors,” added Schneider.
Only one more Illinois unemployment report — for the month of September on Oct. 17 — will be released before the Nov. 4 elections. Metro and local unemployment rates for August will be announced on Sept. 25.
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