Skip to main content

Press Releases

No Data

Unemployment Rates Down in All 14 Metro Areas, Jobs Up in Most Areas in January

Press Release - Thursday, March 16, 2023

SPRINGFIELD - The unemployment rate decreased in all fourteen Illinois metropolitan areas in January according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). Jobs were up in all metro areas except one.

"Metro areas throughout the state continue to experience consistent job growth across industry sectors," said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. "As new jobs are added statewide and across industries, jobseekers and employers are encouraged to take advantage of the services and resources IDES offers in connecting workers and employers."

The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Peoria MSA (4.2%, +6,900), the Springfield MSA (+3.6%, +3,800) and the Rockford MSA (+3.5%, +4,900). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago Metropolitan Division were up +2.7% or +99,300. Total nonfarm jobs were down slightly in the Illinois section of the St. Louis MSA (-0.3%, -800). Industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Leisure and Hospitality (fourteen areas); Mining and Construction and Education and Health Services (thirteen areas each); Other Services (twelve areas); Manufacturing, Wholesale Trade and Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities (eleven areas each); and Government (nine areas).

The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were in the Rockford MSA (-2.5 points to 5.8%), the Decatur MSA (-1.6 points to 5.4%), and the Carbondale-Marion MSA (-1.1 points to 4.3%). The Chicago Metropolitan Division unemployment rate decreased -0.5 point to 4.7%. The unemployment rate decreased over-the-year in 98 counties, increased in 3 and was unchanged in 1.

Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates

Metropolitan Area

January 2023*

January 2022**

Over-the-Year Change

Bloomington

3.7%

4.3%

-0.6

Carbondale-Marion

4.3%

5.4%

-1.1

Champaign-Urbana

3.8%

4.4%

-0.6

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights

4.7%

5.2%

-0.5

Danville

5.7%

6.2%

-0.5

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL

4.5%

4.9%

-0.4

Decatur

5.4%

7.0%

-1.6

Elgin

5.3%

6.0%

-0.7

Kankakee

6.1%

6.9%

-0.8

Lake-Kenosha, IL-WI

4.7%

5.3%

-0.6

Peoria

5.0%

5.9%

-0.9

Rockford

5.8%

8.3%

-2.5

Springfield

4.3%

5.2%

-0.9

St. Louis (IL-Section)

3.9%

4.7%

-0.8

Illinois Statewide

4.7%

5.4%

-0.7

* Preliminary  I  ** Revised

 

 

 















Total Nonfarm Jobs (Not Seasonally Adjusted) - January 2023

Metropolitan Area

January

January

Over-the-Year

 

2023*

2022**

Change

Bloomington MSA

95,400

92,500

2,900

Carbondale-Marion MSA

56,500

54,800

1,700

Champaign-Urbana MSA

119,100

116,300

2,800

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metro Division

3,729,600

3,630,300

99,300

Danville MSA

26,600

26,200

400

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island MSA

179,800

177,600

2,200

Decatur MSA

48,200

47,400

800

Elgin Metro Division

256,000

249,200

6,800

Kankakee MSA

42,700

41,800

900

Lake-County-Kenosha County Metro Division

411,300

401,500

9,800

Peoria MSA

170,000

163,100

6,900

Rockford MSA

146,300

141,400

4,900

Springfield MSA

108,300

104,500

3,800

Illinois Section of St. Louis MSA

232,700

233,500

-800

Illinois Statewide

5,997,000

5,837,800

159,200

*Preliminary | **Revised

 

 

 


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

Labor Market Area

Jan 2023

Jan 2022

Over the Year Change

 

 
   

IL Section of St. Louis MSA

 

 

   

Bond County

4.3 %

4.8 %

-0.5

   

Calhoun County

4.6 %

5.1 %

-0.5

   

Clinton County

3.2 %

3.8 %

-0.6

   

Jersey County

3.6 %

4.4 %

-0.8

   

Macoupin County

4.2 %

4.8 %

-0.6

   

Madison County

3.8 %

4.5 %

-0.7

   

Monroe County

2.9 %

3.1 %

-0.2

   

St. Clair County

4.3 %

5.3 %

-1.0

   

Cities

 

 

 

   

Alton City

5.1 %

5.9 %

-0.8

   

Belleville City

4.5 %

5.7 %

-1.2

   

Collinsville City

4.2 %

5.1 %

-0.9

   

East St. Louis City

5.9 %

8.2 %

-2.3

   

Edwardsville City

3.0 %

3.1 %

-0.1

   

Granite City

3.4 %

4.2 %

-0.8

   

O'Fallon City

3.7 %

4.4 %

-0.7

   

Counties

 

 

 

   

Greene County

4.6 %

5.1 %

-0.5

   

Randolph County

3.9 %

4.3 %

-0.4

   

Washington County

2.7 %

3.2 %

-0.5

   

Other Areas

 

 

 

   

LWIA 21

4.6 %

5.2 %

-0.6

   

LWIA 22

3.8 %

4.5 %

-0.7

   

LWIA 24

3.9 %

4.8 %

-0.9

   

Southwestern EDR

3.9 %

4.6 %

-0.7

   

Metro East Highlights

The January 2023 unemployment rate for the Illinois Section of the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area was 3.9 percent. The unemployment rate decreased -0.8 percentage point over-the-year from the January 2022 rate of 4.7 percent. The data are not seasonally adjusted.

The labor force decreased by -5,542 in January 2023 to 328,143 from 333,685 in January 2022. The number of employed individuals decreased by -2,680 to 315,299 in January 2023 from 317,979 in January 2022. There were 12,844 unemployed people in the labor force in January 2023. This is a decrease of -2,862 compared to the 15,706 unemployed in January 2022.

The number of total nonfarm jobs in January 2023 was 232,700 compared to 233,500 in January 2022, a decline of -800 jobs.

Payrolls increased in Educational and Health Services (+1,100) Mining and Construction (+500), Government (+400), Leisure and Hospitality (+300), Other Services (+300), Wholesale Trade (+300), and Manufacturing (+200).

Nonfarm payrolls declined in Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities (-1,300), Professional and Business Services (-1,300), Retail Trade (-1,100) and Financial Activities (-200).

Information payrolls were unchanged over-the-year.

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.


Press Releases

No Data