Boosts in employment were witnessed across ten metropolitan areas in Illinois for the year ending November 2023, while four metro areas experienced a dip in job numbers, according to the latest figures released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Deputy Governor Andy Manar noted the positive trend, saying, "Further job growth continues to expand throughout every corner of the state across a variety of industry sectors, creating new opportunities for workers."
Leading the charge in job growth were the Danville, Springfield, and Carbondale-Marion metro areas, reporting the highest percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs. However, areas like Decatur, Rockford, and Kankakee weren't as fortunate, seeing the largest percentage declines. The state government, educational, health services, and leisure and hospitality sectors are credited with job increases in most metro areas, signaling a diversifying economy.
Even as job numbers went up, the unemployment rates told a different story in some metros. Eleven areas saw rates tick up, with Lake County, Rockford, Decatur, and the Elgin area leading in hikes. On the flip side, Carbondale-Marion, Chicago Metro, and Springfield enjoyed slight decreases in their unemployment rates.
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights metro division fell slightly to 4.3 percent in November 2023 from 4.4 percent the previous year. Job growth in the region was primarily driven by the educational-health services sector, as well as the leisure-hospitality and financial activities sectors. Despite this, there were losses observed in professional business services and the information sector, as per statistics obtained from the Illinois government's news release.
Job seekers and employers in Illinois can look forward to continued support from IDES and its workforce partners, according to Manar's statement.
