December unemployment numbers show little improvement

The Ottawa-Streator area continues to have higher unemployment rate than most other areas in central Illinois.  December unemployment numbers show La Salle County unemployment at 10.8%, down slightly from the same time last year.

Bureau County unemployment was 9.6% and Putnam County unemployment was 10.5%.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security says that jobs were lost in manufacturing, educational-health services and government while jobs were added in transportation-warehousing.