Unemployment down from one year ago

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The Livingston County unemployment rate is down from one year ago.

The county had a rate of 9.8 percent in August 2010 and the rate was at 8.5 percent last month, which is pretty much unchanged from July.  August unemployment rates fell in 11 of 12 Illinois metro areas compared to last year, according to information released yesterday by the Illinois Department of Employment Security.

Over the year, payroll jobs increased in six metro areas, decreased in four and were unchanged in two.  The largest increases were in Peoria and Kankakee-Bradley.  Employment was also up in the Chicago-Joliet-Naperville area.