Press Release - Thursday, April 03, 2025
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Unemployment Down, Jobs Up in Majority of Metro Areas in February
SPRINGFIELD - Over-the-year, the unemployment rate decreased in eleven metro areas and increased in one for the year ending February 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 seven metropolitan areas and decreased in five.
"Today's data report continues to underscore the strength of Illinois' labor market with unemployment dropping and increases in jobs across most metro areas over the year," said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. "Illinois remains laser-focused on encouraging business development and expanding economic opportunities throughout the state."
The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Elgin Metropolitan Division (+2.3%, +6,600), the Rockford MSA (+1.2%, +1,700), the Kankakee MSA (+0.9%, +400) and the Peoria MSA (+0.9%, +1,600). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago-Naperville- Schaumburg Metropolitan Division were up +18,600 (+0.5%). The metro areas which posted the largest over-the-year decreases in total nonfarm jobs were the Bloomington MSA (-2.2%, -2,100), the Decatur MSA (-1.7%, -800), the Champaign-Urbana MSA (-1.5%,-1,800), and the Illinois section of the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL MSA (-1.5%, -1,300). Industries that saw job growth in the majority of the twelve metro areas included: Private Education and Health Services (eleven areas); Government (ten areas); Retail Trade (nine areas); and Mining and Construction, Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities, and Financial Activities (seven areas each).
The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were the Rockford MSA (-1.2 points to 5.6%), the Elgin Metro Division (-1.1 points to 5.0%), the Lake County Metro Division (-1.1 points to 5.3%), and the Kankakee MSA (-1.0 point to 5.9%). The Chicago Metro Division reported the only increase (+0.1 point to 5.3%).
Unemployment Rates (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
|
Metropolitan Area |
February 2025* |
February 2024** | Over-the- Year Change |
| Bloomington | 3.8% | 4.0% | -0.2 |
| Champaign-Urbana | 3.9% | 4.6% | -0.7 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg | 5.3% | 5.2% | 0.1 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island (IL Section) |
5.7% |
6.0% |
-0.3 |
| Decatur | 5.9% | 6.4% | -0.5 |
| Elgin | 5.0% | 6.1% | -1.1 |
| Kankakee | 5.9% | 6.9% | -1.0 |
| Lake | 5.3% | 6.4% | -1.1 |
| Peoria | 5.1% | 5.6% | -0.5 |
| Rockford | 5.6% | 6.8% | -1.2 |
| Springfield | 4.4% | 4.7% | -0.3 |
| St. Louis (IL Section) | 3.9% | 4.7% | -0.8 |
| Illinois Statewide | 5.1% | 5.3% | -0.2 |
| * Preliminary I ** Revised | |||
Total Nonfarm Jobs (Not Seasonally Adjusted) - February 2025
| Metropolitan Area | February | February | Over-the-Year |
|
| 2025* | 2024** | Change |
| Bloomington | 93,900 | 96,000 | -2,100 |
| Champaign-Urbana | 118,600 | 120,400 | -1,800 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg | 3,747,400 | 3,728,800 | 18,600 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island (IL Section) | 86,300 | 87,600 | -1,300 |
| Decatur | 46,400 | 47,200 | -800 |
| Elgin | 293,100 | 286,500 | 6,600 |
| Kankakee | 42,600 | 42,200 | 400 |
| Lake | 336,700 | 335,000 | 1,700 |
| Peoria | 170,200 | 168,600 | 1,600 |
| Rockford | 144,500 | 142,800 | 1,700 |
| Springfield | 110,500 | 109,800 | 700 |
| St. Louis (IL Section) | 237,600 | 238,400 | -800 |
| Illinois Statewide | 6,063,400 | 6,028,300 | 35,100 |
| *Preliminary | **Revised | |||
Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates (percent) for Local Counties and Areas
|
Labor Market Area |
Feb 2025 |
Feb 2024 | Over-the- Year Change |
| Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg, IL Metro Division | |||
| Cook County | 5.5 % | 5.3 % | 0.2 |
| DuPage County | 4.3 % | 4.2 % | 0.1 |
| Grundy County | 6.0 % | 5.9 % | 0.1 |
| McHenry County | 5.1 % | 4.9 % | 0.2 |
| Will County | 5.5 % | 5.4 % | 0.1 |
| Elgin, IL Metro Division | |||
| DeKalb County | 4.6 % | 5.6 % | -1.0 |
| Kane County | 5.2 % | 6.3 % | -1.1 |
| Kendall County | 4.4 % | 5.4 % | -1.0 |
| Lake County, IL Metro Division | |||
| Lake County | 5.3 % | 6.4 % | -1.1 |
| Kankakee, IL MSA | |||
| Kankakee County | 5.9 % | 6.9 % | -1.0 |
| Cities |
|
|
|
| Aurora City | 5.0 % | 5.7 % | -0.7 |
| Chicago City | 5.5 % | 5.3 % | 0.2 |
| Elgin City | 7.4 % | 8.5 % | -1.1 |
| Joliet City | 6.9 % | 6.8 % | 0.1 |
| Kankakee City | 8.1 % | 9.4 % | -1.3 |
| Naperville City | 3.9 % | 3.8 % | 0.1 |
Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg, IL Metro Division
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 5.3 percent in February 2025 from 5.2 percent in February 2024.
Total nonfarm employment increased +18,600 compared to February 2024. The Private Education-Health Services (+17,500), Leisure-Hospitality (7,400), Government (+7,000), Other Services (+1,900), Financial Activities (+1,700) and Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+1,000) sectors had the largest payroll gains over-the-year. The Professional-Business Services (-12,200), Wholesale Trade (-4,000), Manufacturing (-1,800) and Information (-500) sectors had employment declines from a year ago.
Elgin, IL Metro Division
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 5.0 percent in February 2025 from 6.1 percent in February 2024.
Total nonfarm employment increased +6,600 compared to February 2024. The Private Education-Health Services (+2,300), Government (+2,300), Retail Trade (+1,200), Financial Activities (+400), Construction (+400) and Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+400) sectors had the largest payroll gains over-the-year. The Leisure-Hospitality (-900), Manufacturing (-200) 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 5.3 percent in February 2025 from 6.4 percent in February 2024.
Total nonfarm employment increased +1,700 compared to February 2024. The Private Education-Health Services (+2,200), Government (+1,100), Professional-Business Services (+800), Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+400) and Leisure-Hospitality (+200) sectors had payroll gains over- the-year. The Financial Activities (-1,100), Retail Trade (-900), Manufacturing (-500) and Wholesale Trade (-500) sectors had employment declines from a year ago.
Kankakee, IL MSA
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 5.9 percent in February 2025 from 6.9 percent in February 2024.
Total nonfarm employment increased +400 compared to February 2024. The Private Education-Health Services (+500), Government (+300) and Retail Trade (+100) sectors had payroll gains over-the-year. The Professional-Business Services (-200), Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (-100), Manufacturing (-100) and Wholesale Trade (-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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