The Illinois Department of Employment Security says the state’s unemployment rate was 8.7 percent in January, down from the previous month’s revised rate of 8.9 percent.  The agency said Thursday that the state lost 27,600 jobs from December to January.  That was a decrease of 12,500 jobs in the Trade, Transportation and Utilities sector, 5,100 in Professional & Business Services and 4,200 in Leisure & Hospitality.  Greg Rivara of the IDES tries to explain these seemingly irreconcilable figures.  “It does happen occasionally.  It’s not very common, but the reason that it happens is the job numbers come from a survey from employers, and the employment numbers come from a survey from workers.  Sometimes they move in opposite directions,” he said.  Officials blame record-setting snow and cold for restricting construction growth.  The retail sector was hurt by the end of holiday-driven sales.  There was an increase of 2,900 in the Construction sector.  Illinois’ unemployment rate remains well above the national average of 6.6 percent.  January data is delayed a month and issued in March because the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics requires states to revise monthly employment and labor force data.