SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS (November 27, 2023) — Over-the-year, total nonfarm jobs increased in eleven metropolitan areas and decreased in three for the year ending October 2023, according to data released today by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES). Over-the-year, the unemployment rate increased in thirteen metropolitan areas and decreased in one.
The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Danville MSA (+3.0%, +800), the Elgin Metro Division (+2.2%, +5,900), and the Springfield MSA (+1.6%, +1,800). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago Metro were up +0.7% or +26,200. Total nonfarm jobs were down in the Kankakee MSA (-1.1%, -500), the Decatur MSA (-0.8%, -400), and the Rockford MSA (-0.8%, -1,200). Industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Government (thirteen areas); Education and Health Services and Leisure and Hospitality (eleven areas each); and Other Services (nine areas).
The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate increases were the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL MSA (+1.5 percentage points to 4.9%), the Decatur MSA (+1.2 percentage points to 6.1%), and the Rockford MSA (+1.2 points to 6.1%). The Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metropolitan Division unemployment rate fell -0.1 point to 4.4%.
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 4.9 percent in October 2023 from 3.4 percent in October 2022.
Total nonfarm employment increased +700 compared to October 2022.
Government (+3,000), Leisure-Hospitality (+900), Educational-Health Services (+400), and Other Services (+100) had payroll gains over-the-year. The Professional-Business Services (-2,400), Retail Trade (-600), Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (-200), and Manufacturing (-200) sectors recorded the largest employment declines over-the-year.
The unemployment rate identifies those who are out of work and seeking employment. A person who exhausts benefits, or is ineligible, still will be reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.
Note: Monthly 2022 unemployment rates and total nonfarm jobs for Illinois metro areas were revised in February and March 2023, as required by the US 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.
