Press Release - Thursday, March 30, 2023
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Jobs Up Across Nearly All 14 Metro Areas in February
SPRINGFIELD - Total nonfarm jobs increased in thirteen metropolitan areas and decreased in one for the year ending February 2023, according to data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES). Over-the-year, the unemployment rate decreased in seven areas, increased in five areas and was unchanged in two.
"Today's data is further indication that job growth continues to trend in the right direction with expansion throughout every corner of the state across sectors," said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. "Job expansion creates new and growing career opportunities for jobseekers and the demand for employers to invest in and retain the talented and diverse Illinois labor force."
The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Bloomington MSA (+4.8%, +4,500), the Peoria MSA (3.9%, +6,400), and the Champaign-Urbana MSA (+3.4%, +4,000). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago Metropolitan Division were up +2.1% or +77,500. Total nonfarm jobs were down in the Illinois section of the St. Louis MSA (-0.4%, -1,000). Industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Mining and Construction and Leisure and Hospitality (fourteen areas each); Education and Health Services, Other Services and Government (thirteen areas each); Manufacturing and Wholesale Trade (eleven areas each); Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities (ten areas).
The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were in the Chicago Metropolitan Division (-0.9 point to 4.1%), the Rockford MSA (-0.8 point to 6.3%), and the Decatur MSA (-0.6 point to 5.9%). The largest unemployment rate increases were in the Lake County-Kenosha County Metro (+0.4 point to 5.4%), the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL MSA (+0.3%, +4.6%) and the Elgin Metro (+0.3 point to 5.9%). The unemployment rate was unchanged in the Bloomington MSA (4.0%) and the Champaign-Urbana MSA (4.1%).
Metro Area Unemployment Rates (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
| Metropolitan Area | February 2023* | February 2022** | Over-the-Year Change |
| Bloomington | 4.0% | 4.0% | 0.0 |
| Carbondale-Marion | 4.5% | 4.7% | -0.2 |
| Champaign-Urbana | 4.1% | 4.1% | 0.0 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights | 4.1% | 5.0% | -0.9 |
| Danville | 6.0% | 5.8% | 0.2 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 4.6% | 4.3% | 0.3 |
| Decatur | 5.9% | 6.5% | -0.6 |
| Elgin | 5.9% | 5.6% | 0.3 |
| Kankakee | 6.5% | 6.4% | 0.1 |
| Lake-Kenosha, IL-WI | 5.4% | 5.0% | 0.4 |
| Peoria | 5.4% | 5.5% | -0.1 |
| Rockford | 6.3% | 7.1% | -0.8 |
| Springfield | 4.6% | 4.9% | -0.3 |
| St. Louis (IL-Section) | 4.1% | 4.3% | -0.2 |
| Illinois Statewide | 4.5% | 5.1% | -0.6 |
| * Preliminary I ** Revised |
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Total Nonfarm Jobs (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
| Metropolitan Area | February | February | Over-the-Year |
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| 2023* | 2022** | Change |
| Bloomington MSA | 98,000 | 93,500 | 4,500 |
| Carbondale-Marion MSA | 58,000 | 56,700 | 1,300 |
| Champaign-Urbana MSA | 122,000 | 118,000 | 4,000 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metro Division | 3,730,300 | 3,652,800 | 77,500 |
| Danville MSA | 26,900 | 26,400 | 500 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island MSA | 181,100 | 179,300 | 1,800 |
| Decatur MSA | 48,500 | 47,600 | 900 |
| Elgin Metro Division | 260,400 | 253,200 | 7,200 |
| Kankakee MSA | 43,000 | 42,100 | 900 |
| Lake-County-Kenosha County Metro Division | 407,300 | 404,700 | 2,600 |
| Peoria MSA | 170,900 | 164,500 | 6,400 |
| Rockford MSA | 146,500 | 143,300 | 3,200 |
| Springfield MSA | 108,600 | 106,000 | 2,600 |
| Illinois Section of St. Louis MSA | 234,300 | 235,300 | -1,000 |
| Illinois Statewide | 6,026,500 | 5,881,500 | 145,000 |
| *Preliminary | **Revised |
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Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates
(percent) for Local Counties and Areas
| Labor Market Area | Feb 2023 | Feb 2022 | Over the Year Change |
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| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metro Division | |||||
| Cook County | 4.2 % | 5.4 % | -1.2 | ||
| DuPage County | 3.2 % | 3.7 % | -0.5 | ||
| Grundy County | 5.3 % | 5.9 % | -0.6 | ||
| Kendall County | 4.0 % | 4.2 % | -0.2 | ||
| McHenry County | 3.9 % | 4.4 % | -0.5 | ||
| Will County | 4.4 % | 5.1 % | -0.7 | ||
| Elgin, IL Metro Division |
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| DeKalb County | 5.1 % | 5.1 % | 0.0 | ||
| Kane County | 6.0 % | 5.7 % | 0.3 | ||
| Lake & Kenosha, IL-WI Metro Division |
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| Lake County (IL) | 6.0 % | 5.3 % | 0.7 | ||
| Kankakee, IL MSA |
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| Kankakee County | 6.5 % | 6.4 % | 0.1 | ||
| Cities |
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| Aurora City | 5.0 % | 4.8 % | 0.2 | ||
| Chicago City | 4.3 % | 5.5 % | -1.2 | ||
| Elgin City | 8.1 % | 8.5 % | -0.4 | ||
| Joliet City | 5.8 % | 6.8 % | -1.0 | ||
| Kankakee City | 9.2 % | 9.4 % | -0.2 | ||
| Naperville City | 2.9 % | 2.9 % | 0.0 | ||
* Unemployment rates for cities with total population of 25,000 or more can be found at https://www2.illinois.gov/ides/lmi/Pages/Local_Area_Unemployment_Statistics.aspx
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metro Division
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 4.1 percent in February 2023 from 5.0 percent in February 2022.
Total nonfarm employment increased +77,500 compared to February 2022. The Leisure-Hospitality (+36,100) and Educational-Health Services (+27,500) sectors had the largest payroll gains over the year. Employment declines were reported in Professional-Business Services (-2,900), Financial Activities (-1,200), Information (-900), and Retail Trade (-300).
Elgin, IL Metro Division
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 5.9 percent in February 2023 from 5.6 percent in February 2022.
Total nonfarm employment increased +7,200 compared to February 2022. Government (+2,000), Leisure-Hospitality (+1,700), Educational-Health Services (+1,600), and Manufacturing (+1,400) sectors had the largest payroll gains over the year. The Professional-Business Services (-700), Retail Trade (-300), and Information (-100) sectors had employment declines from a year ago.
Lake & Kenosha Counties, IL-WI Metro Division
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 5.4 percent in February 2023 from 5.0 percent in February 2022.
Total nonfarm employment increased +2,600 compared to February 2022. Manufacturing (+1,500), Educational-Health Services (+1,400), Leisure-Hospitality (+1,200), and Retail Trade (+800) sectors had the largest payroll gains over the year. Financial Activities (-1,300), Professional-Business Services (-1,100), and Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (-500) sectors had the largest employment declines from a year ago.
Kankakee, IL MSA
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 6.5 percent in February 2023 from 6.4 percent in February 2022.
Total nonfarm employment increased +900 compared to February 2022. Educational-Health Services (+400), Government (+300), Retail Trade (+200), Wholesale Trade (+100), Other Services (+100), Construction (+100), and Leisure-Hospitality (+100) sectors had payroll gains over the year. The Professional-Business Services (-300) and Manufacturing (-100) sectors recorded employment declines compared to one year ago.
Note: Monthly 2022 unemployment rates and total nonfarm jobs for Illinois metro areas were revised in February and March 2023, as required by the U.S. BLS. Comments and tables distributed for prior metro area news releases should be discarded as any records or historical analysis previously cited may no longer be valid. The official monthly unemployment rate series for metro areas, counties and most cities begins in 1990. The official monthly nonfarm jobs series for metro areas begins in 1990 and for non-metropolitan counties it begins in 1999.
Disclaimer: The data contained in the metro area employment numbers press releases are not seasonally adjusted, and therefore are subject to seasonal fluctuations due to factors such as changes in weather, harvests, major holidays, and school schedules. Current monthly metro data should be compared to the same month from prior years (February 2023 data compared to February 2022 data) as data for these months have similar seasonal patterns. Comparisons should not be made to data for the immediate previous month or other previous non-matching months, as any changes in the data within these time periods may be the result of seasonal fluctuations and not economic factors.
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