For Immediate Release – May 25, 2023
Jobs Up in Most Metro Areas, Unemployment Rates Mixed in April
SPRINGFIELD – The unemployment rate increased in six metropolitan areas, decreased in five, and was unchanged in three for the year ending April 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, total nonfarm jobs increased in thirteen metropolitan areas and was unchanged in one.
“Today’s data provides further evidence that stable and consistent job growth continues to expand in metro areas and industry sectors throughout the state,” said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. “As new jobs are created, new opportunities become available for those looking to reenter the workforce or shift to another career field.”
The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Champaign-Urbana MSA (+2.7%, +3,200), the Peoria MSA (+2.4%, +4,100), and the Elgin Metro (+2.4%, +6,200). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago Metro Division were up +1.6% or +59,800. The Carbondale-Marion MSA saw no change in total nonfarm jobs. Industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Education and Health Services (thirteen areas); Leisure and Hospitality, Other Services and Government (twelve areas each); Manufacturing, Wholesale Trade and Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities (nine areas each); and Mining and Construction (eight areas).
The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate increases were the Lake-Kenosha County IL-WI Metro (+0.3 point to 4.3%), followed by the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL MSA (+0.2 point to 3.5%), the Kankakee MSA (+0.2 point to 5.4%) and the Rockford MSA (+0.2 point to 6.2%). The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were the Chicago Metro Division (-1.1 percentage points to 3.2%), a record low unemployment rate for the month of April, followed by the Springfield MSA (-0.4 point to 3.7%) and the Carbondale-Marion MSA (-0.2 point to 3.9%). The unemployment rate was unchanged in the Bloomington MSA (3.4%), the Champaign-Urbana MSA (3.6%) and the Peoria MSA (4.5%).
Unemployment Rates (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
| Metropolitan Area | April 2023* | April 2022** | Over-the-Year Change |
| Bloomington | 3.4% | 3.4% | 0.0 |
| Carbondale-Marion | 3.9% | 4.1% | -0.2 |
| Champaign-Urbana | 3.6% | 3.6% | 0.0 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights | 3.2% | 4.3% | -1.1 |
| Danville | 5.0% | 4.9% | 0.1 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 3.5% | 3.3% | 0.2 |
| Decatur | 5.5% | 5.6% | -0.1 |
| Elgin | 4.6% | 4.5% | 0.1 |
| Kankakee | 5.4% | 5.2% | 0.2 |
| Lake-Kenosha, IL-WI | 4.3% | 4.0% | 0.3 |
| Peoria | 4.5% | 4.5% | 0.0 |
| Rockford | 6.2% | 6.0% | 0.2 |
| Springfield | 3.7% | 4.1% | -0.4 |
| St. Louis (IL-Section) | 3.7% | 3.8% | -0.1 |
| Illinois Statewide | 3.7% | 4.3% | -0.6 |
| * Preliminary I ** Revised |
Total Nonfarm Jobs (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
| Metropolitan Area | April | April | Over-the-Year |
| 2023* | 2022** | Change | |
| Bloomington MSA | 98,200 | 96,800 | 1,400 |
| Carbondale-Marion MSA | 58,100 | 58,100 | 0 |
| Champaign-Urbana MSA | 123,300 | 120,100 | 3,200 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metro Division | 3,776,500 | 3,716,700 | 59,800 |
| Danville MSA | 27,100 | 26,700 | 400 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island MSA | 183,400 | 181,600 | 1,800 |
| Decatur MSA | 48,400 | 47,700 | 700 |
| Elgin Metro Division | 264,200 | 258,000 | 6,200 |
| Kankakee MSA | 43,100 | 43,000 | 100 |
| Lake-County-Kenosha County Metro Division | 416,700 | 412,800 | 3,900 |
| Peoria MSA | 171,900 | 167,800 | 4,100 |
| Rockford MSA | 145,700 | 144,900 | 800 |
| Springfield MSA | 109,200 | 107,200 | 2,000 |
| Illinois Section of St. Louis MSA | 240,100 | 239,500 | 600 |
| Illinois Statewide | 6,103,700 | 5,989,900 | 113,800 |
| *Preliminary | **Revised |
Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates
(percent) for Local Counties and Areas
| Labor Market Area | Apr 2023 | Apr 2022 | Over the Year Change | ||
| Champaign-Urbana MSA | |||||
| Champaign County | 3.6 % | 3.6 % | 0.0 | ||
| Ford County | 3.7 % | 3.7 % | 0.0 | ||
| Piatt County | 3.3 % | 3.4 % | -0.1 | ||
| Danville MSA | |||||
| Vermilion County | 5.0 % | 4.9 % | 0.1 | ||
| Cities | |||||
| Champaign City | 3.5 % | 3.5 % | 0.0 | ||
| Urbana City | 3.7 % | 3.3 % | 0.4 | ||
| Danville City | 5.9 % | 4.9 % | 1.0 | ||
| Counties | |||||
| Clark County | 3.8 % | 4.0 % | -0.2 | ||
| Coles County | 3.8 % | 4.2 % | -0.4 | ||
| Cook County | 3.4 % | 4.6 % | -1.2 | ||
| De Witt County | 4.1 % | 3.8 % | 0.3 | ||
| Douglas County | 3.1 % | 3.2 % | -0.1 | ||
| Edgar County | 3.0 % | 3.3 % | -0.3 | ||
| Iroquois County | 4.4 % | 4.6 % | -0.2 | ||
| McLean County | 3.3 % | 3.4 % | -0.1 | ||
| Macon County | 5.5 % | 5.6 % | -0.1 | ||
| Moultrie County | 2.9 % | 3.2 % | -0.3 | ||
| Sangamon County | 3.7 % | 4.1 % | -0.4 | ||
| Shelby County | 3.6 % | 4.0 % | -0.4 | ||
| Other Areas | |||||
| LWIA 17 | 3.6 % | 3.7 % | -0.1 | ||
| LWIA 18 | 5.0 % | 4.9 % | 0.1 | ||
| East Central EDR | 3.9 % | 3.9 % | 0.0 | ||
East Central Illinois Highlights
Champaign-Urbana MSA
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.6 percent in April 2023 was unchanged from the April 2022 level.
Nonfarm employment increased by +3,200 compared to last April.
Government (+1,600), Leisure-Hospitality (+800), Educational-Health Services (+700), and Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+300) had the largest payroll gains over the year. The Retail Trade (-300), Professional-Business Services (-200), and Information (-200) sectors had employment declines from a year ago.
Danville MSA
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 5.0 percent in April 2023 from 4.9 percent in April 2022.
Nonfarm employment increased by +400 compared to last April.
Government (+300), Manufacturing (+100), Wholesale Trade (+100), Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+100), Educational-Health Services (+100), and Leisure-Hospitality (+100) had payroll gains over the year. The Professional-Business Services (-400) sector had employment declines from a year ago.
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 (February 2023 data compared to February 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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