Associated Press | Unemployment in Illinois fell slightly last
month as the state added more than 19,000 jobs. April’s jobless rate of
11.2 percent was three-tenths of a point lower than in March and the
lowest since December.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security says figures it released Thursday reflect four consecutive months of job growth. There still were more than 752,000 Illinoisans who were unemployed in April.

IDES Director Maureen O’Donnell says she’s cautiously optimistic that the effects of the national recession on Illinois might by softening. But she says the unemployment rate might fluctuate for several months as jobs are created and people re-enter the work force.