Press Release - Thursday, May 23, 2024
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Jobs Up in Majority of Metro Areas in April
SPRINGFIELD - Over-the-year, total nonfarm jobs increased in ten metropolitan areas and decreased in four for the year ending April 2024, 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 increased in thirteen metropolitan areas, and decreased in one.
"Continued job growth across metro areas and industry sectors position both jobseekers and employers to tap into newly created and expanded opportunities to begin or further career growth, said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. "IDES is proud to collaborate with its workforce partners to provide critical employment and reemployment services, including matching workers with hiring employers across the state."
The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Champaign-Urbana MSA (+2.4%, +3,000) and the Elgin Metro (+2.1%, +5,600). In the Chicago Metro, total nonfarm jobs were up +0.2% or +7,600. The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year decreases in total nonfarm jobs were the Springfield MSA (-2.8%, -3,100), and the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL MSA (-1.1%, -2,100). Industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Government (fourteen areas); Private Education and Health Services (eleven areas); Wholesale Trade (ten areas); and Manufacturing, Leisure and Hospitality, and Other Services (eight areas each).
The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate increases were the Chicago Metro (+0.9 point to 4.3%), the Elgin Metro (+0.6 point to 5.2%), the Bloomington MSA (+0.5 point to 3.8%), and the Springfield MSA (+0.5 point to 4.1%). The unemployment rate decreased in the Rockford MSA (-0.4 point to 5.9%).
Unemployment Rates (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
| Metropolitan Area | April 2024* | April 2023** | Over-the-Year Change |
| Bloomington | 3.8% | 3.3% | 0.5 |
| Carbondale-Marion | 4.2% | 3.8% | 0.4 |
| Champaign-Urbana | 3.9% | 3.6% | 0.3 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights | 4.3% | 3.4% | 0.9 |
| Danville | 5.3% | 5.1% | 0.2 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 4.0% | 3.6% | 0.4 |
| Decatur | 5.7% | 5.6% | 0.1 |
| Elgin | 5.2% | 4.6% | 0.6 |
| Kankakee | 5.7% | 5.4% | 0.3 |
| Lake-Kenosha, IL-WI | 4.8% | 4.4% | 0.4 |
| Peoria | 4.9% | 4.5% | 0.4 |
| Rockford | 5.9% | 6.3% | -0.4 |
| Springfield | 4.1% | 3.6% | 0.5 |
| St. Louis (IL-Section) | 4.0% | 3.7% | 0.3 |
| Illinois Statewide | 4.4% | 3.8% | 0.6 |
| * Preliminary I ** Revised |
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Total Nonfarm Jobs (Not Seasonally Adjusted) - April 2024
| Metropolitan Area | April | April | Over-the-Year |
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| 2024* | 2023** | Change |
| Bloomington MSA | 99,700 | 99,200 | 500 |
| Carbondale-Marion MSA | 59,400 | 58,600 | 800 |
| Champaign-Urbana MSA | 126,000 | 123,000 | 3,000 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metro Division | 3,797,400 | 3,789,800 | 7,600 |
| Danville MSA | 26,800 | 26,700 | 100 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island MSA | 180,800 | 182,900 | -2,100 |
| Decatur MSA | 47,700 | 48,000 | -300 |
| Elgin Metro Division | 266,500 | 260,900 | 5,600 |
| Kankakee MSA | 43,000 | 42,600 | 400 |
| Lake-County-Kenosha County Metro Division | 418,800 | 415,500 | 3,300 |
| Peoria MSA | 170,000 | 170,600 | -600 |
| Rockford MSA | 144,900 | 144,500 | 400 |
| Springfield MSA | 107,600 | 110,700 | -3,100 |
| Illinois Section of St. Louis MSA | 243,200 | 241,100 | 2,100 |
| Illinois Statewide | 6,124,000 | 6,084,300 | 39,700 |
| *Preliminary | **Revised |
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Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates
(percent) for Local Counties and Areas
| Labor Market Area | Apr 2024 | Apr 2023 | Over-the-Year Change |
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| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metro Division | |||||
| Cook County | 4.5 % | 3.6 % | 0.9 | ||
| DuPage County | 3.4 % | 2.7 % | 0.7 | ||
| Grundy County | 4.5 % | 3.6 % | 0.9 | ||
| Kendall County | 3.9 % | 3.1 % | 0.8 | ||
| McHenry County | 3.9 % | 3.1 % | 0.8 | ||
| Will County | 4.3 % | 3.4 % | 0.9 | ||
| Elgin, IL Metro Division |
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| DeKalb County | 4.5 % | 4.2 % | 0.3 | ||
| Kane County | 5.3 % | 4.7 % | 0.6 | ||
| Lake & Kenosha, IL-WI Metro Division |
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| Lake County (IL) | 5.1 % | 4.7 % | 0.4 | ||
| Kankakee, IL MSA |
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| Kankakee County | 5.7 % | 5.4 % | 0.3 | ||
| Cities |
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| Aurora City | 4.5 % | 3.9 % | 0.6 | ||
| Chicago City | 4.7 % | 3.8 % | 0.9 | ||
| Elgin City | 6.6 % | 5.4 % | 1.2 | ||
| Joliet City | 5.2 % | 4.3 % | 0.9 | ||
| Kankakee City | 7.8 % | 7.8 % | 0.0 | ||
| Naperville City | 3.3 % | 2.7 % | 0.6 | ||
* 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 increased to 4.3 percent in April 2024 from 3.4 percent in April 2023.
Total nonfarm employment increased +7,600 compared to April 2023. The Private Education-Health Services (+20,500), Government (+8,200), Manufacturing (+8,200) and Leisure-Hospitality (+7,800) sectors had the largest payroll gains over-the-year. The largest employment declines were Professional-Business Services (-29,100), Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (-4,900), Construction (-3,900) and Financial Activities (-2,900).
Elgin, IL Metro Division
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 5.2 percent in April 2024 from 4.6 percent in April 2023.
Total nonfarm employment increased +5,600 compared to April 2023. Government (+2,200), Private Education-Health Services (+1,700), Leisure-Hospitality (+700) and Manufacturing (+500) sectors had the largest payroll gains over-the-year. The Professional-Business Services (-700), Construction (-200) 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 4.8 percent in April 2024 from 4.4 percent in April 2023.
Total nonfarm employment increased +3,300 compared to April 2023. Leisure-Hospitality (+3,500), Government (+1,900) and Private Education-Health Services (+1,800) sectors had the largest payroll gains over-the-year. Professional-Business Services (-2,200), Financial Activities (-1,400), Information (-500) and Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (-400) sectors had the largest employment declines from a year ago.
Kankakee, IL MSA
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 5.7 percent in April 2024 from 5.4 percent in April 2023.
Total nonfarm employment increased +400 compared to April 2023. Private Education-Health Services (+400), Government (+300), Financial Activities (+100) and Wholesale Trade (+100) sectors had payroll gains over-the-year. The Professional-Business Services (-200), Manufacturing (-100), Other Services (-100) and Construction (-100) sectors recorded employment decline compared to one year ago.
Note: Monthly 2023 unemployment rates and total nonfarm jobs for Illinois metro areas were revised in February and March 2024, 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.
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 (January 2024 data compared to January 2023 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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