Local unemployment rates fell in seven of 12 Illinois metro areas in July, according to preliminary data released Thursday by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). Weak manufacturing, however, resulted in larger increases in some downstate areas.

The areas that saw the biggest unemployment drop included Metro East near St. Louis, Lake County and Rockford. Metro East saw the most significant decrease from 9.6 percent in July 2012 to 8.6 percent this past July.

Unemployment jumped the most over the last year in areas impacted by manufacturing declines. In Decatur, for example, unemployment increased from 11.3 percent in July 2012 to 13.2 percent last month. In the same year-to-year July comparison, Peoria's unemployment rate rose 8 percent to 9.4 percent.

Illinois' unemployment rate was 9.2 percent in July, which was the second-highest rate in the country. The national unemployment rate for July 2013 was 7.4 percent.

Metropolitan Area: July 2013, July 2012

Bloomington-Normal: 7.8, 7.7

Champaign-Urbana: 8.9, 9.1

Chicago-Joliet-Naperville: 9.7, 9.4

Danville: 11.8, 10.6

Davenport-Moline-Rock Isl.: 6.9, 7.1

Decatur: 13.2, 11.3

Kankakee-Bradley: 11.2, 11.3

Lake-Kenosha, IL-WI: 8.4, 8.8

Peoria: 9.4, 8.0

Rockford: 11.4, 11.7

Springfield: 8.0, 8.1

St. Louis (IL-Section): 8.6, 9.6