shutterstock
shutterstock
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) recently released preliminary data showing that the year-over-year unemployment rate in 13 out of the 14 Illinois metropolitan (metro) areas has decreased, and eight of the metro areas saw an increase in nonfarm jobs.
The only area where the unemployment rate had risen was in the Chicago metro area.
“Overall, the year-over-year unemployment rate increase is disappointing, but not unexpected, given Illinois’ lackluster rate of economic recovery since 2011,” IDES Director Jeff Mays said in a press release. “Each of the six counties in the Chicago metro division saw their unemployment rates increase, while 94 of the remaining 96 counties in the state saw their rates decline.”
Eight metro areas saw the addition of jobs by non-farm businesses. The largest increases were seen in the Elgin Metropolitan Division, which added 5,100 jobs, for a 2 percent increase; Kankakee MSA, which added 700 jobs, for a 1.5 percent increase; and the Champaign-Urbana MSA, which added 1,600 jobs, for a 1.4 percent increase. The Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metro Division added a total of 23,800 nonfarm jobs, for an increase of .06 percent.
Only five metro areas lost jobs.
Alerts Sign-up