Illinois officials say the April unemployment rate dipped to 4.7 percent. The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced yesterday that non-farm payrolls decreased by 7,200 jobs over the month. That’s based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. IDES Director Jeff Mays says the drop in unemployment was because of a shrinking labor force. Officials say March job growth numbers were revised up to show a drop of 7,700 jobs. That’s fewer than the 8,900 jobs originally estimated were lost. April’s monthly payroll drop kept over-the-year job growth well below the national average.
