With graduation approaching, those walking the stage will face a statewide unemployment rate that continues to rise.

Following a two-month lag, the unemployment problem in Illinois rose in March to 6.1 percent, according to statistics released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security.

Furthermore, the numbers have no guarantee of turning around, serving as an obstacle for many college graduates, Bern Colleran, public information officer for the IDES, said Tuesday.

“The prospects aren’t as good as they were two years ago,” he said.

The current state of the economy is responsible for waning rates of employment, but, Bern said, is similar to economy slow-downs in the early ’80s and early ’90s.

“It’s mirroring the state overall and the nation’s situation,” he said. “And that it’s declined in the demand for labor.”

Bern could not detail future oscillation of unemployment, but for now there are not many possibilities for the jobless. He did not dismiss the idea of unemployment rates dropping, “but the data for March shows no realization for that,” he said.

The recession began in March of 2001; however, Bern said unemployment differs among various fields. Manufacturing is taking the worst hit and has been since 2000. In addition, areas in the computer field are suffering.

Unemployment rates also vary depending on the region of the state someone is looking to land a job in, Bern said.

With 8.6 percent, the Decatur area has suffered the largest increase in its jobless rate, while Rockford and Chicago trail with 7.8 percent and 6.6 percent respectively. The Springfield area remained stable at 4.3 percent, a press release stated.

“It really depends on what area you’re in and what fields you’re in and their susceptibility to downturns,” he said.

On the upturn, the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island region’s jobless rate dropped to 6.3 percent because many workers returned to their jobs after being laid off in March of 2001, a press release stated.