Unemployment rate drops slightly for Kankakee

The Kankakee metro area gained 200 new jobs, and saw its overall unemployment rate drop to 11.2 percent from 11.3 percent in July 2012.

The modest gains mean the area no longer holds the second-worst economy in the state, according to figures released Thursday by the Illinois Department of Employment Security. It now ranks fourth in unemployment among 12 metro areas.

Unemployment fell in seven of Illinois' 12 metro areas in July.

The state said that not-seasonally adjusted unemployment dropped in areas that included Champaign-Urbana, Springfield and the Metro East near St. Louis. The last of those three saw a steep drop, from 9.6 percent in July 2012 to 8.6 percent.

But some areas dependent on manufacturing experienced large increases. Unemployment jumped from 8 percent to 9.4 percent in Peoria, where Caterpillar Inc. has its headquarters. The company has cut employees as demand drops.Some of those layoffs have been in Decatur, where unemployment rose to 13.

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Spanish unemployment rate falls

25 July 2013 Last updated at 09:09 GMT Unemployment has caused discontent among Spanish unions Spain's unemployment rate has fallen for the first time in two years, according to official figures.

The rate stood at 26.3% in the second quarter of the year, down from a record 27.2% in the first quarter.

The National Statistics Institute said the total number of unemployed had fallen to just below six million.

But the unemployment rate remains one of the highest in the EU with the Spanish economy still mired in an 18-month recession.

A strong tourist season was credited with boosting employment, with tourism accounting for about 10% of Spanish GDP.

The news will be welcomed by the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, which has continued to implement austerity reforms but argued the recession will soon be over.

On Tuesday, Spain's central bank estimated that the economy shrank again between the first and second quarter of this year, but by only 0.1%, raising hopes that the economy will begin growing again by the end of the year.

The fall in the unemployment rate came as surprise to some. Economists surveyed by Reuters had forecast another rise.

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