Illinois quick hits: Unchanged employment rate second worst in country

Unchanged employment rate second worst in countryThe Illinois Department of Employment Security announced that the state’s unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.3% in September.Nevada is the only state with a higher rate at 5.6%, and the U.S. unemployment rate is 4.1%. Based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nonfarm payrolls were down in Illinois by 2,400. Antibiotic Awareness Week The Illinois Department of Public Health will observe U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week Nov. 18-24.The annual event is intended to increase public knowledge about the importance of careful use of antibiotics in order to prevent antimicrobial resistance, where bacteria and other germs develop an immunity to the drugs that were designed to fight them. The CDC estimates that each year, more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the U.S.Field trip grants help students visit historic sitesMore than 350 students in grades fourth through eighth will visit Illinois state historic sites this school year thanks to grant funding through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources State Historic Sites Field Trip Grant program. Nearly $4,400 in donated funds were awarded for 12 field trip grants. The competitive program allows Illinois teachers to apply for funds to take students on a field trip to visit and learn at select Illinois state historic sites. Learning activities must directly relate to the school’s curriculum.