Jobless Figures Ugly In Area

Putnam County’s jobless rate for July was 15.4 percent, edging out Winnebago and Clay counties for tops in the state. Putnam County’s unemployment rate this time last year was a mere 6.7 percent.

Not much better news in Bureau, La Salle or Grundy County. La Salle County’s July unemployment rate is 11.8 percent, up from 8.1 percent the same time a year ago. Bureau County has a 10.1 percent July jobless mark, up from 6.1 percent last July. Grundy County meanwhile has a 13.1 percent unemployment rate, up from 7.3 percent last July.