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Jobs Up in All 14 Metro Areas, Unemployment Rate Down in Most

Press Release - Wednesday, November 23, 2022

SPRINGFIELD -Jobs increased over-the-year in all fourteen Illinois metropolitan areas in October 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 in twelve metropolitan areas, increased in one and was unchanged in one.

"Job growth in every corner of the state has remained consistently strong for more than a year and a half" said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. "Employers and jobseekers alike are encouraged to take advantage of the employment services IDES has to offer to participate in the expanding labor market."

The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Rockford MSA (+5.5%, +7,700), the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL MSA (+5.1%, +9,300), and the Chicago Metro Division (+3.9%, +142,800). Industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Manufacturing and Leisure and Hospitality (fourteen areas each); Mining and Construction and Other Services (thirteen areas each); Education and Health Services (twelve areas); Wholesale Trade (eleven areas); Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities (ten areas); Professional and Business Services and Government (eight areas each).

The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were the Rockford MSA (-1.3 points to 5.9%), the Chicago Metro Division (-0.7 point to 4.4%) and the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL MSA (-0.7 point to 3.5%). The unemployment rate increased slightly in the Kankakee MSA (+0.1 point to 5.3%). The unemployment rate was unchanged in the Champaign-Urbana MSA (3.7%).


Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates


Metropolitan Area

October 2022*

October 2021**

Over-the-Year Change

Bloomington

3.5%

3.6%

-0.1

Carbondale-Marion

4.1%

4.4%

-0.3

Champaign-Urbana

3.7%

3.7%

0.0

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights

4.4%

5.1%

-0.7

Danville

5.1%

5.3%

-0.2

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL

3.5%

4.2%

-0.7

Decatur

5.7%

6.2%

-0.5

Elgin

4.2%

4.5%

-0.3

Kankakee

5.3%

5.2%

0.1

Lake-Kenosha, IL-WI

3.7%

3.8%

-0.1

Peoria

4.5%

4.7%

-0.2

Rockford

5.9%

7.2%

-1.3

Springfield

3.9%

4.3%

-0.4

St. Louis (IL-Section)

3.9%

4.0%

-0.1

Illinois Statewide

4.3%

4.8%

-0.5

* Preliminary | ** Revised

 

 

 




























Total Nonfarm Jobs (Not Seasonally Adjusted) - October 2022

Metropolitan Area

October

October

Over-the-Year

 

2022*

2021**

Change

Bloomington MSA

96,300

93,100

3,200

Carbondale-Marion MSA

58,600

57,600

1,000

Champaign-Urbana MSA

119,500

119,000

500

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metro Division

3,833,200

3,690,400

142,800

Danville MSA

26,600

25,800

800

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island MSA

190,800

181,500

9,300

Decatur MSA

49,200

48,300

900

Elgin Metro Division

258,100

252,200

5,900

Kankakee MSA

43,700

42,500

1,200

Lake-County-Kenosha County Metro Division

426,600

414,800

11,800

Peoria MSA

169,800

165,300

4,500

Rockford MSA

148,200

140,500

7,700

Springfield MSA

110,100

107,600

2,500

Illinois Section of St. Louis MSA

239,400

238,100

1,300

Illinois Statewide

6,144,400

5,952,500

191,900

*Preliminary | **Revised

 

 

 


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

Labor Market Area

Oct 2022

Oct 2021

Over the Year Change

 

 
   

Rockford MSA

 

 

 

   

Boone County

5.7 %

6.9 %

-1.2

   

Winnebago County

6.0 %

7.2 %

-1.2

   

Cities

 

 

 

   

Belvidere City

6.9 %

8.4 %

-1.5

   

Freeport City

5.4 %

5.4 %

0.0

   

Rockford City

7.3 %

8.7 %

-1.4

   

Counties

 

 

 

   

Bureau County

4.0 %

3.7 %

0.3

   

Carroll County

3.5 %

3.1 %

0.4

   

DeKalb County

4.1 %

4.4 %

-0.3

   

Henry County

3.8 %

3.7 %

0.1

   

Jo Daviess County

3.4 %

3.3 %

0.1

   

Kane County

4.2 %

4.5 %

-0.3

   

Lee County

3.6 %

3.5 %

0.1

   

McHenry County

3.3 %

3.6 %

-0.3

   

Ogle County

4.4 %

4.5 %

-0.1

   

Stephenson County

4.2 %

4.2 %

0.0

   

Whiteside County

4.1 %

3.7 %

0.4

   

Rockford MSA

The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 5.9 percent in October 2022 from 7.2 percent in October 2021. The last time the October rate was equal to or lower was in 2019 when it was 4.5 percent.

Total nonfarm employment increased by +7,700 over the year.

The Manufacturing (+2,200), Retail Trade (+1,200), Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+1,000), Educational-Health Services (+900), and Government (+900) sectors had the largest payroll gains over the year. No sectors had employment declines from a year ago.

Ogle County

The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 4.4 percent in October 2022 from 4.5 percent in October 2021. The last time the October rate was equal to or lower was in 2019 when it was 3.8 percent.

Total nonfarm employment decreased by -225 over the year.

Government (+75) and Other Services (+50) had the largest payroll gains over the year. The Trade-Transportation-Utilities (-275), Manufacturing (-50), and Financial Activities (-50) sectors recorded the largest employment declines over the year.

Stephenson County

The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 4.2 percent in October 2022 was unchanged from the October 2021 level.

Total nonfarm employment was unchanged over the year.

Government (+150) and Leisure-Hospitality (+75) had payroll gains over the year. Manufacturing (-125) and Construction (-100) sectors recorded the largest employment declines over the year.




Note: Monthly 2021 unemployment rates and total nonfarm jobs for Illinois metro areas were revised in February and March 2022, 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.

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 2022 data compared to January 2021 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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