Illinois unemployment up sharply to 9.9 percent

The AP reports:

Illinois' unemployment rate shot up almost half a percentage point in August to 9.9 percent. It was a fourth straight month of diminishing job prospects that state officials blame on weak consumer confidence and the struggles of the national economy.

Even the state's manufacturing sector, which had been a bright spot even as other types of employers shed jobs the past few months, cut employment in August.

Illinois' unemployment rate surged up from 9.5 percent in July but has been increasing since it was at 8.7 percent in May, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security. The national jobless rate held steady in August at 9.1 percent.

"We know that consumer confidence drives our economy, and that confidence has been shaken across our country," Department of Employment Security spokesman Greg Rivara said. "So it is a challenge for any state to sustain positive momentum while the national economy remains so uncertain."

Great moments in Blue America!