January 30, 2026/

Illinois Quick Hits: Unemployment up over last year

Spread the love

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – According to preliminary figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Illinois’ statewide unemployment rate for December 2025 was 4.8%, up from 4.4% in December 2024.

Over the year, non-farm jobs decreased in nine of the state’s metropolitan areas and increased in three.

The Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg area has reported 18 consecutive months of job growth.

CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGE

A church official from Illinois is facing a charge of producing child pornography.

Michael William Mohr, 54, is president of the Central Illinois District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.

The affidavit in support of the complaint alleges that searches of residences used by Mohr revealed cameras disguised as electronic devices and videos of juveniles in the bathroom.

STATE AG GRANTS

The Illinois Department of Agriculture has announced plans to distribute $3.6 million in grants to support local food processing, aggregation and distribution.

Grants will be available for collaborative projects from $1,000 to $250,000 and for individual projects from $1,000 to $75,000. Eligible entities include businesses with fewer than 50 employees, nonprofits and units of local government.

The funds were appropriated in the 2026 state budget.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

U.S.-EU trade deal includes ceiling for European pharmaceutical imports

U.S.-EU trade deal includes ceiling for European pharmaceutical imports

By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square The European Union has escaped a potential 250% pharmaceutical tariff and instead has secured a maximum 15% levy with the U.S. according to a joint...
Supreme Court allows Trump to block DEI funding

Supreme Court allows Trump to block DEI funding

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision on Thursday, allowed President Donald Trump to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research grants....
Trump to probe Smithsonian museums for 'woke' ideology

Trump to probe Smithsonian museums for ‘woke’ ideology

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square President Donald Trump has promised to crack down on “woke” ideas promoted in museums across the United States, including the federally funded Smithsonian museums in...
Director: Nation’s largest outdoor ag show brings economic impact to central IL

Director: Nation’s largest outdoor ag show brings economic impact to central IL

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The nation’s largest outdoor agricultural show is set for next week in Central Illinois. The Farm Progress...
Personnel cuts to national intelligence office will save taxpayers $700 million

Personnel cuts to national intelligence office will save taxpayers $700 million

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square The Office of the Director of National Intelligence is set to undergo a massive overhaul and cut 40% of its workforce, continuing the Trump administration’s...
Redistricting would split cities, counties throughout CA

Redistricting would split cities, counties throughout CA

By Dave MasonThe Center Square Lodi, a Northern California city of 66,000 people, will be divided among three congressional districts if a Democratic Party-backed redistricting map goes into effect. And...
Pritzker: Fair maps in Illinois would be 'disarming' to Democrats

Pritzker: Fair maps in Illinois would be ‘disarming’ to Democrats

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says Democrats would be “disarming” if they agreed to fair maps state by...
NY appeals court overturns Trump's civil fraud penalty

NY appeals court overturns Trump’s civil fraud penalty

By Chris WadeThe Center Square A New York appeals court has tossed out a $454 million civil fraud verdict against Donald Trump and his family business over charges he broke...
Casey Police Graphic Logo

Casey Police Department to Add New Officer

Article Summary: The Casey Police Department will soon have a new officer on its roster after the City Council unanimously approved the hiring of Tommy Starks. The approval follows a...
States sue over Victims of Crime Act grant funding

States sue over Victims of Crime Act grant funding

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has joined a 20-state coalition and Washington, D.C., suing the Trump administration over restrictions it has put on Victims of...
White House backs off hefty EU tariff threats, EU eliminates industrial tariffs

White House backs off hefty EU tariff threats, EU eliminates industrial tariffs

By Caroline BodaThe Center Square After striking a framework trade deal with the European Union in July, the White House added more details to what the agreement entails Thursday. Most...
Home sales up 2% in July as prices stayed nearly flat

Home sales up 2% in July as prices stayed nearly flat

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square Home sales increased 2% last month after a lackluster spring selling season as prices cooled. Existing-home sales increased by 2% in July, according to a...
Parents who lost daughters at Camp Mystic: Their deaths were '100% preventable'

Parents who lost daughters at Camp Mystic: Their deaths were ‘100% preventable’

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Parents who lost their daughters from flood waters at Camp Mystic said their deaths were “100% preventable” and asked the legislature to implement mandatory safety...
Illinois quick hits: COVID fraud indictments issued; man sentenced for mailing fentanyl

Illinois quick hits: COVID fraud indictments issued; man sentenced for mailing fentanyl

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square COVID fraud indictments issued A federal grand jury has indicted four Chicago-area individuals accused of fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in...
Trump defunds California sex ed program over 'gender ideology'

Trump defunds California sex ed program over ‘gender ideology’

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The Trump administration terminated a federal grant that provided funding for sex education classes in California. The federal government terminated the Personal Responsibility Education Program,...