The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced that the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.5 percent, while nonfarm payrolls increased by +14,500 in September, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and released by IDES. The August monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from +4,100 to +4,500 jobs. The August unemployment rate was unchanged from the preliminary report, remaining at 4.5 percent. The September payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th. In September, the industry sectors with the largest over-the-month gains in employment include: Educational and Health Services (+5,400), Government (+3,900), and Professional and Business Services (+3,800). The industry sectors that reported monthly payroll declines included: Leisure and Hospitality (-2,500), and Information (-400). The state’s unemployment rate was +1.0 percentage point higher than the national unemployment rate reported for September, which was 3.5 percent, down -0.2 percentage point from the previous month. The Illinois unemployment rate was down -1.0 percentage point from a year ago when it was at 5.5 percent.