Press Release - Thursday, March 30, 2023
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Jobs Up Across Nearly All 14 Metro Areas in February
SPRINGFIELD - Total nonfarm jobs increased in thirteen metropolitan areas and decreased in one for the year ending February 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 decreased in seven areas, increased in five areas and was unchanged in two.
"Today's data is further indication that job growth continues to trend in the right direction with expansion throughout every corner of the state across sectors," said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. "Job expansion creates new and growing career opportunities for jobseekers and the demand for employers to invest in and retain the talented and diverse Illinois labor force."
The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Bloomington MSA (+4.8%, +4,500), the Peoria MSA (3.9%, +6,400), and the Champaign-Urbana MSA (+3.4%, +4,000). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago Metropolitan Division were up +2.1% or +77,500. Total nonfarm jobs were down in the Illinois section of the St. Louis MSA (-0.4%, -1,000). Industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Mining and Construction and Leisure and Hospitality (fourteen areas each); Education and Health Services, Other Services and Government (thirteen areas each); Manufacturing and Wholesale Trade (eleven areas each); Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities (ten areas).
The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were in the Chicago Metropolitan Division (-0.9 point to 4.1%), the Rockford MSA (-0.8 point to 6.3%), and the Decatur MSA (-0.6 point to 5.9%). The largest unemployment rate increases were in the Lake County-Kenosha County Metro (+0.4 point to 5.4%), the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL MSA (+0.3%, +4.6%) and the Elgin Metro (+0.3 point to 5.9%). The unemployment rate was unchanged in the Bloomington MSA (4.0%) and the Champaign-Urbana MSA (4.1%).
Metro Area Unemployment Rates (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
| Metropolitan Area | February 2023* | February 2022** | Over-the-Year Change |
| Bloomington | 4.0% | 4.0% | 0.0 |
| Carbondale-Marion | 4.5% | 4.7% | -0.2 |
| Champaign-Urbana | 4.1% | 4.1% | 0.0 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights | 4.1% | 5.0% | -0.9 |
| Danville | 6.0% | 5.8% | 0.2 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 4.6% | 4.3% | 0.3 |
| Decatur | 5.9% | 6.5% | -0.6 |
| Elgin | 5.9% | 5.6% | 0.3 |
| Kankakee | 6.5% | 6.4% | 0.1 |
| Lake-Kenosha, IL-WI | 5.4% | 5.0% | 0.4 |
| Peoria | 5.4% | 5.5% | -0.1 |
| Rockford | 6.3% | 7.1% | -0.8 |
| Springfield | 4.6% | 4.9% | -0.3 |
| St. Louis (IL-Section) | 4.1% | 4.3% | -0.2 |
| Illinois Statewide | 4.5% | 5.1% | -0.6 |
| * Preliminary I ** Revised |
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Total Nonfarm Jobs (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
| Metropolitan Area | February | February | Over-the-Year |
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| 2023* | 2022** | Change |
| Bloomington MSA | 98,000 | 93,500 | 4,500 |
| Carbondale-Marion MSA | 58,000 | 56,700 | 1,300 |
| Champaign-Urbana MSA | 122,000 | 118,000 | 4,000 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metro Division | 3,730,300 | 3,652,800 | 77,500 |
| Danville MSA | 26,900 | 26,400 | 500 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island MSA | 181,100 | 179,300 | 1,800 |
| Decatur MSA | 48,500 | 47,600 | 900 |
| Elgin Metro Division | 260,400 | 253,200 | 7,200 |
| Kankakee MSA | 43,000 | 42,100 | 900 |
| Lake-County-Kenosha County Metro Division | 407,300 | 404,700 | 2,600 |
| Peoria MSA | 170,900 | 164,500 | 6,400 |
| Rockford MSA | 146,500 | 143,300 | 3,200 |
| Springfield MSA | 108,600 | 106,000 | 2,600 |
| Illinois Section of St. Louis MSA | 234,300 | 235,300 | -1,000 |
| Illinois Statewide | 6,026,500 | 5,881,500 | 145,000 |
| *Preliminary | **Revised |
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Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates
(percent) for Local Counties and Areas
| Labor Market Area | Feb 2023 | Feb 2022 | Over the Year Change |
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| Rockford MSA |
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| Boone County | 7.9 % | 8.4 % | -0.5 | ||
| Winnebago County | 6.0 % | 6.9 % | -0.9 | ||
| Cities |
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| Belvidere City | 9.9 % | 10.6 % | -0.7 | ||
| Freeport City | 5.9 % | 5.5 % | 0.4 | ||
| Rockford City | 6.8 % | 7.9 % | -1.1 | ||
| Counties |
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| Bureau County | 6.0 % | 5.5 % | 0.5 | ||
| Carroll County | 5.5 % | 4.9 % | 0.6 | ||
| DeKalb County | 5.1 % | 5.1 % | 0.0 | ||
| Henry County | 5.5 % | 5.2 % | 0.3 | ||
| Jo Daviess County | 5.5 % | 5.0 % | 0.5 | ||
| Kane County | 6.0 % | 5.7 % | 0.3 | ||
| Lee County | 4.9 % | 4.6 % | 0.3 | ||
| McHenry County | 3.9 % | 4.4 % | -0.5 | ||
| Ogle County | 6.2 % | 6.1 % | 0.1 | ||
| Stephenson County | 5.7 % | 5.5 % | 0.2 | ||
| Whiteside County | 5.2 % | 4.7 % | 0.5 |
Rockford MSA
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 6.3 percent in February 2023 from 7.1 percent in February 2022.
Total nonfarm employment increased by +3,200 over the year.
The Leisure-Hospitality (+1,300), Educational-Health Services (+1,100), Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+900), and Construction (+500) sectors had the largest payroll gains over the year. The Manufacturing (-1,400) and Professional-Business Services (-100) sectors recorded an employment decline over the year.
Ogle County
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 6.2 percent in February 2023 from 6.1 percent in February 2022.
Total nonfarm employment increased by +400 over the year.
Government (+150), Educational-Health Services (+125), Construction (+100), Professional-Business Services (+75), and Other Services (+50) had the largest payroll gains over the year. The Trade-Transportation-Utilities (-100) and Leisure-Hospitality (-50) sectors recorded the largest employment declines over the year.
Stephenson County
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 5.7 percent in February 2023 from 5.5 percent in February 2022.
Total nonfarm employment increased by +125 over the year.
Construction (+200), Manufacturing (+150), Other Services (+50) and Government (+50) had the largest payroll gains over the year. Financial Activities (-200), Leisure-Hospitality (-100), and Educational-Health Services (-75) sectors recorded employment declines 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. 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 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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