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Jobs Up in Majority of Metro Areas in December

Press Release - Thursday, January 25, 2024

                  Unemployment Rates (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Metropolitan Area

December  2023*

December 2022**

Over-the-Year Change

Bloomington

3.8%

2.9%

0.9

Carbondale-Marion

4.2%

3.5%

0.7

Champaign-Urbana

4.0%

3.1%

0.9

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights

3.9%

4.2%

-0.3

Danville

5.4%

4.4%

1.0

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL

3.9%

3.6%

0.3

Decatur

5.7%

4.5%

1.2

Elgin

5.1%

4.0%

1.1

Kankakee

5.9%

4.7%

1.2

Lake-Kenosha, IL-WI

4.8%

3.7%

1.1

Peoria

4.8%

3.9%

0.9

Rockford

5.9%

4.6%

1.3

Springfield

3.9%

3.4%

0.5

St. Louis (IL-Section)

4.0%

3.2%

0.8

Illinois Statewide

4.2%

4.0%

0.2

* Preliminary  I  ** Revised

 

 

 

SPRINGFIELD - Over-the-year, total nonfarm jobs increased in eight metropolitan areas, decreased in five and was unchanged in one for the year ending December 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 increased in thirteen metropolitan areas and decreased in one.

 

"We are pleased to see continued positive economic trends across Illinois," said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. "IDES remains committed to sustaining a viable workforce ecosystem in which jobseekers and employers remain engaged and connected."

The metro areas that had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Danville MSA (+1.8%, +500) and the Springfield MSA (+1.7%, +1,900). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago Metro were up +0.8% or +31,600. The metro areas with the largest over-the-year percentage decreases in total  nonfarm jobs were the Kankakee MSA (-1.6%, -700) and the Decatur MSA (-1.4%, -700).  Peoria MSA saw no change in total nonfarm jobs. The industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Education and Health Services (eleven areas); Leisure and Hospitality and Government (ten areas each); Mining and Construction (nine areas); and Other Services (eight areas).

 

The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate increases were the Rockford MSA (+1.3 points to 5.9%), the Decatur MSA (+1.2 points to 5.7%), and the Kankakee MSA (+1.2 points to 5.9%). The unemployment rate fell in the Chicago Metro (-0.3 point to 3.9%).

 



Total Nonfarm Jobs (Not Seasonally Adjusted) - December 2023

Metropolitan Area

December

December

Over-the-Year

 

2023*

2022**

Change

Bloomington MSA

97,900

98,100

-200

Carbondale-Marion MSA

59,300

58,500

800

Champaign-Urbana MSA

120,500

120,200

300

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metro Division

3,835,900

3,804,300

31,600

Danville MSA

27,700

27,200

500

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island MSA

185,300

184,300

1,000

Decatur MSA

48,200

48,900

-700

Elgin Metro Division

268,300

264,600

3,700

Kankakee MSA

43,000

43,700

-700

Lake-County-Kenosha County Metro Division

419,900

421,600

-1,700

Peoria MSA

172,200

172,200

0

Rockford MSA

148,100

149,600

-1,500

Springfield MSA

111,500

109,600

1,900

Illinois Section of St. Louis MSA

244,400

241,600

2,800

Illinois Statewide

6,181,600

6,125,300

56,300

*Preliminary | **Revised

 

 

 

 


Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates
(percent) for Local Counties and Areas

Labor Market Area

Dec 2023

Dec 2022

Over-the-Year Change

 

 
 

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metro Division

 

Cook County

4.0 %

4.4 %

-0.4

 

DuPage County

3.1 %

3.2 %

-0.1

 

Grundy County

4.4 %

4.9 %

-0.5

 

Kendall County

3.5 %

3.8 %

-0.3

 

McHenry County

3.6 %

3.8 %

-0.2

 

Will County

4.0 %

4.3 %

-0.3

 

Elgin, IL Metro Division

 

 

 

 

DeKalb County

4.5 %

3.6 %

0.9

 

Kane County

5.2 %

4.1 %

1.1

 

Lake & Kenosha, IL-WI Metro Division

 

 

Lake County (IL)

5.2 %

4.0 %

1.2

 

Kankakee, IL MSA

 

 

 

 

Kankakee County

5.9 %

4.7 %

1.2

 

Cities

 

 

 

 

Aurora City

4.4 %

3.8 %

0.6

 

Chicago City

4.2 %

4.6 %

-0.4

 

Elgin City

6.8 %

5.9 %

0.9

 

Joliet City

4.9 %

5.5 %

-0.6

 

Kankakee City

8.6 %

7.3 %

1.3

 

Naperville City

3.1 %

3.0 %

0.1

 

* 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

Kankakee, IL MSA

The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 5.9 percent in December 2023 from 4.7 percent in December 2022. 

Total nonfarm employment decreased -700 compared to December 2022. Leisure-Hospitality (+200) and Educational-Health Services (+100) sectors had payroll gains over the year. The Manufacturing (-200), Professional-Business Services (-200) and Government (-200) sectors recorded the largest employment decline compared to one year ago.

 

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metro Division

The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 3.9 percent in December 2023 from 4.2 percent in December 2022.

Total nonfarm employment increased +31,600 compared to December 2022. The Educational-Health Services (+27,000) and Leisure-Hospitality (+11,700) sectors had the largest payroll gains over the year. The largest employment declines were reported Professional-Business Services  (-19,700), Information (-6,300) and Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (-4,500).

Elgin, IL Metro Division

The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 5.1 percent in December 2023 from 4.0 percent in December 2022.

Total nonfarm employment increased +3,700 compared to December 2022. Professional-Business Services (+2,600), Government (+1,700) and Educational-Health Services (+1,400) sectors had the largest payroll gains over the year.  The Retail Trade (-900), Construction (-600) and Financial Activities (-400) sectors had the largest 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 December 2023 from 3.7 percent in December 2022.

Total nonfarm employment decreased -1,700 compared to December 2022. Wholesale Trade (+800), Educational-Health Services (+600), Government (+500) and Construction (+500) sectors had the largest payroll gains over the year. Professional-Business Services (-1,900) and Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (-1,100) sectors had the largest employment declines from a 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.

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 2023 data compared to January 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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