(SPRINGFIELD) The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced Thursday that the unemployment rate increased to 4.6% in October. The national unemployment rate was 3.9% in October, slightly up from the previous month. Based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nonfarm payrolls in Illinois decreased by 15,000 last month.
(SPRINGFIELD)The Illinois Secretary of State’s Office has announced that after more than seven years, Illinois residents who placed deposits for the state’s Monarch Butterfly Specialty license plate can finally redeem them. The license plate is the first universal specialty plate issued in the state. The $10 deposits are allocated to the Roadside Monarch Habitat Fund. If the plate is renewed, $23 of the renewal fee will benefit the fund.