Unemployment Rates Down, Jobs Up in Every Metro Area Compared to June 2020

SPRINGFIELD - The number of nonfarm jobs increased over-the-year in all fourteen Illinois metropolitan areas in June according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). The unemployment rate decreased over-the-year in all metro areas.

"As the state continues to recover from the pandemic, today's data highlights the economic progress made from a year ago," said Senior Advisor Andy Manar. "With reopening activities continuing to evolve, IDES is hard at work to provide reemployment services to those individuals who lost work and are looking to rejoin the workforce."

The number of nonfarm jobs increased in all fourteen Illinois metropolitan areas. The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Springfield MSA (+7.0%, +6,800), the Peoria MSA (+6.6%, +10,200), and the Lake-Kenosha IL-WI Metro (+5.8%, +22,300). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago Metro rose by +5.4% or +181,600. The industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Leisure and Hospitality (fourteen areas); Government (twelve areas); Mining and Construction, Retail Trade, and Other Services (eleven areas each); Transportation, Warehousing and Public Utilities (ten areas); Manufacturing, Wholesale Trade and Educational and Health Services (nine areas each); and Professional and Business Service (eight areas).

Over-the-year, the unemployment rate decreased in all 14 metropolitan areas; the metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were the Elgin Metro (-7.6 points to 6.2%), the Peoria MSA (-7.2 points to 6.4%), the Rockford MSA (-7.0 points to 9.5%) and the Illinois section of St. Louis MSA (-7.0 points to 5.7%). The Chicago Metro unemployment rate fell -6.5 points to 9.2%.

Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates

Total Nonfarm Jobs (Not Seasonally Adjusted) -June  2021

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

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metro Division

The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 9.2 percent in June 2021 from 15.7 percent in June 2020.  The last time the June rate was equal to or lower was in 2019 when it was 4.2 percent. 

Total nonfarm employment increased +181,600 compared to June 2020.  The Manufacturing (-7,500) and Information (-1,800) sectors recorded employment declines compared to one year ago.  Leisure-Hospitality (+71,500), Professional-Business Services (+30,100), Retail Trade (+19,600), and Educational-Health Services (+18,100) had the largest payroll gains over the year.

Elgin, IL Metro Division

The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 6.2 percent in June 2021 from 13.8 percent in June 2020. The last time the June rate was equal to or lower was in 2019 when it was 3.8 percent.
 
Total nonfarm employment increased +13,100 compared to June 2020.  The Professional-Business Services (-700) and Financial Activities (-100) sectors recorded employment declines compared to one year ago. Leisure-Hospitality (+5,400), Retail Trade  (+3,400), and Government  (+2,500) had the largest payroll gains over the year.

Lake & Kenosha Counties, IL-WI Metro Division

The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 5.5 percent in June 2021 from 11.5 percent in June 2020. The last time the June rate was equal to or lower was in 2019 when it was 3.6 percent.   

Total nonfarm employment increased +22,300 compared to June 2020. The Educational-Health Services (-200) sector recorded employment declines compared to one year ago. Leisure-Hospitality (+10,500), Government (+4,400), Professional-Business Services (+2,300), and Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+2,100)  had the largest payroll gains over the year.

Kankakee, IL MSA

The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 6.8 percent in June 2021 from 12.8 percent in June 2020.  The last time the June rate was equal to or lower was in 2019 when it was 4.2 percent.
 
Total nonfarm employment increased +1,300 compared to June 2020.  The Educational-Health Services (-600) and Financial Activities (-100) sectors recorded employment declines compared to one year ago. The Leisure-Hospitality (+1,100), Manufacturing (+300), and Government (+300) sectors had the largest payroll gains over the year.

Note:  Monthly 2020 unemployment rates and total nonfarm jobs for Illinois metro areas were revised in February and March 2021, 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.