Press Release - Friday, March 21, 2025
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Unemployment Down, Jobs Up in Majority of Metro Areas in January
SPRINGFIELD - Over-the-year, the unemployment rate decreased in eleven metro areas and increased in one for the year ending January 2025, 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, total nonfarm jobs increased in six metropolitan areas, decreased in five, and was unchanged in one.
"As unemployment decreased over the last year in most metro areas and payroll remains steady, Illinois continues to prioritize region-specific support for jobseekers through local workforce partners," said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. "Illinois also remains laser-focused on investing in our incomparable workforce and creating a positive business environment to bolster economic opportunity in every corner of the state."
The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Elgin Metro Division (+2.2%, +6,200), the Peoria MSA (+1.8%, +3,000), and the Rockford MSA (+1.5%, +2,200). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg Metro Division were up +19,000 (+0.5%). The metro areas which posted the largest over-the-year decreases in total nonfarm jobs were the Illinois section of the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL MSA (-1.1%, -1,000), the Champaign-Urbana MSA (-1.0%, -1,200), and the Decatur MSA (-0.6%, -300). Total nonfarm jobs were unchanged in the Bloomington MSA. Industries that saw job growth in the majority of the twelve metro areas included: Private Education and Health Services (eleven areas); Government (nine areas); and Mining and Construction and Retail Trade (seven areas each).
The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were the Rockford MSA (-1.3 points to 5.8%), the Kankakee MSA (-1.2 points to 6.3%), and the Lake County Metro (-1.1 points to 5.5%). The Chicago Metro Division reported the only increase (+0.3 point to 5.0%).
Unemployment Rates (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
|
Metropolitan Area |
January 2025* |
January 2024** | Over- the-Year Change |
| Bloomington | 4.0% | 4.1% | -0.1 |
| Champaign-Urbana | 4.0% | 4.7% | -0.7 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg | 5.0% | 4.7% | 0.3 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island (IL Section) |
6.1% |
6.3% |
-0.2 |
| Decatur | 6.0% | 6.7% | -0.7 |
| Elgin | 5.2% | 6.2% | -1.0 |
| Kankakee | 6.3% | 7.5% | -1.2 |
| Lake | 5.5% | 6.6% | -1.1 |
| Peoria | 5.5% | 6.0% | -0.5 |
| Rockford | 5.8% | 7.1% | -1.3 |
| Springfield | 4.6% | 5.0% | -0.4 |
| St. Louis (IL Section) | 4.2% | 4.9% | -0.7 |
| Illinois Statewide | 5.0% | 5.2% | -0.2 |
| * Preliminary I ** Revised | |||
Total Nonfarm Jobs (Not Seasonally Adjusted) - January 2025
| Metropolitan Area | January | January | Over-the-Year |
|
| 2025* | 2024** | Change |
| Bloomington | 93,200 | 93,200 | 0 |
| Champaign-Urbana | 115,300 | 116,500 | -1,200 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg | 3,739,900 | 3,720,900 | 19,000 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island (IL Section) | 86,000 | 87,000 | -1,000 |
| Decatur | 46,400 | 46,700 | -300 |
| Elgin | 291,000 | 284,800 | 6,200 |
| Kankakee | 42,100 | 42,300 | -200 |
| Lake | 336,900 | 336,700 | 200 |
| Peoria | 170,300 | 167,300 | 3,000 |
| Rockford | 144,800 | 142,600 | 2,200 |
| Springfield | 109,900 | 109,100 | 800 |
| St. Louis (IL Section) | 235,800 | 236,200 | -400 |
| Illinois Statewide | 6,040,500 | 6,002,300 | 38,200 |
| *Preliminary | **Revised | |||
The number and composition of metropolitan statistical areas for each state are determined by federal census data. As a result of data derived from the 2020 federal census, Illinois' metropolitan statistical areas have shifted from 14 to 12, with the prior metropolitan statistical areas of Carbondale and Danville reclassified as micropolitan statistical areas. Micropolitan statistical area data can be found here.
Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates (percent) for Local Counties and Areas
|
Labor Market Area |
Jan 2025 |
Jan 2024 | Over-the- Year Change |
| Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg, IL Metro Division | |||
| Cook County | 5.2% | 4.8% | 0.4 |
| DuPage County | 4.0% | 3.8% | 0.2 |
| Grundy County | 6.1% | 5.9% | 0.2 |
| McHenry County | 4.8% | 4.5% | 0.3 |
| Will County | 5.2% | 4.9% | 0.3 |
| Elgin, IL Metro Division | |||
| DeKalb County | 4.9% | 5.8% | -0.9 |
| Kane County | 5.4% | 6.4% | -1.0 |
| Kendall County | 4.6% | 5.5% | -0.9 |
| Lake County, IL Metro Division | |||
| Lake County | 5.5% | 6.6% | -1.1 |
| Kankakee, IL MSA | |||
| Kankakee County | 6.3% | 7.5% | -1.2 |
| Cities |
|
|
|
| Aurora City | 5.1% | 5.6% | -0.5 |
| Chicago City | 5.2% | 4.8% | 0.4 |
| Elgin City | 7.7% | 8.5% | -0.8 |
| Joliet City | 6.7% | 6.3% | 0.4 |
| Kankakee City | 8.3% | 10.3% | -2.0 |
| Naperville City | 3.5% | 3.3% | 0.2 |
Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg, IL Metro Division
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 5.0 percent in January 2025 from 4.7 percent in January 2024.
Total nonfarm employment increased +19,000 compared to January 2024. The Private Education-Health Services (+21,200), Government (+7,300), Leisure-Hospitality (7,100), Other Services (+3,100) and Financial Activities (+2,300) sectors had the largest payroll gains over-the-year. The Professional-Business Services (-14,200), Transportation- Warehousing-Utilities (-3,800), Wholesale Trade (-3,000), Retail Trade (-1,100) and Manufacturing (-800) sectors had employment declines from a year ago.
Elgin, IL Metro Division
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 5.2 percent in January 2025 from 6.2 percent in January 2024.
Total nonfarm employment increased +6,200 compared to January 2024. The Private Education-Health Services (+2,500), Government (+2,200), Retail Trade (+1,200) and Other Services (+600) sectors had the largest payroll gains over-the- year. The Leisure-Hospitality (-1,300), Professional-Business Services (-600) and Wholesale Trade (-100) sectors had employment declines from a year ago.
Lake County, IL Metro Division
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 5.5 percent in January 2025 from 6.6 percent in January 2024.
Total nonfarm employment increased +200 compared to January 2023. The Private Education-Health Services (+2,200), Government (+1,100), Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+400) and Manufacturing (+100) sectors had payroll gains over-the-year. The Retail (-1,300), Financial Activities (-1,100), Leisure-Hospitality (-400), Professional-Business Services (-400), Wholesale Trade (-200) and Construction (-200) sectors had the largest employment declines from a year ago.
Kankakee, IL MSA
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 6.3 percent in January 2025 from 7.5 percent in January 2024.
Total nonfarm employment decreased -200 compared to January 2023. The Private Education-Health Services (+200) sector had the only payroll gain over-the-year. The Wholesale Trade (-200), Professional-Business Services (-100) and Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (-100) sectors had employment declines from a year ago.
Note: Monthly 2024 unemployment rates and total nonfarm jobs for Illinois metro areas were revised in February and March 2025, 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 2025 data compared to January 2024 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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