For Immediate Release – June 23, 2023
Jobs Up in All 14 Metro Areas in May
SPRINGFIELD – Over-the-year, total nonfarm jobs increased in all fourteen metropolitan areas for the year ending May 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 increased in seven metropolitan areas, decreased in four, and was unchanged in three.
“Illinois continues to experience steady, persistent job growth across the state, a trend that has continued for more than two years,” said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. “IDES remains a critical resource connecting workers and employers to fill newly created positions as job growth expansion continues across industries and metro areas.”
The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Bloomington MSA (+3.2%, +3,200), the Peoria MSA (+2.9%, +4,900), and the Champaign-Urbana MSA (+2.7%, +3,200). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago Metro Division were up +1.6% or +61,500.Industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Government (fourteen areas); Education and Health Services, Leisure and Hospitality, and Other Services (eleven areas each); Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities (nine areas); and Manufacturing (eight areas).
The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate increases were the Danville MSA (+0.5 point to 5.2%), the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL MSA (+0.5 point to 3.9%), and the Lake-Kenosha County IL-WI Metro (+0.4 point to 4.1%). The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were the Chicago Metro (-1.3 percentage points to 3.2%), a record low unemployment rate for the month of May, followed by the Rockford MSA (-0.3 point to 5.9%) and the Carbondale-Marion MSA (-0.2 point to 4.0%).
Unemployment Rates (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
| Metropolitan Area | May 2023* | May 2022** | Over-the-Year Change |
| Bloomington | 3.5% | 3.5% | 0.0 |
| Carbondale-Marion | 4.0% | 4.2% | -0.2 |
| Champaign-Urbana | 3.7% | 3.6% | 0.1 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights | 3.2% | 4.5% | -1.3 |
| Danville | 5.2% | 4.7% | 0.5 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 3.9% | 3.4% | 0.5 |
| Decatur | 5.4% | 5.4% | 0.0 |
| Elgin | 4.3% | 4.1% | 0.2 |
| Kankakee | 5.0% | 4.9% | 0.1 |
| Lake-Kenosha, IL-WI | 4.1% | 3.7% | 0.4 |
| Peoria | 4.4% | 4.3% | 0.1 |
| Rockford | 5.9% | 6.2% | -0.3 |
| Springfield | 3.8% | 3.9% | -0.1 |
| St. Louis (IL-Section) | 3.7% | 3.7% | 0.0 |
| Illinois Statewide | 3.6% | 4.4% | -0.8 |
| * Preliminary I ** Revised |
Total Nonfarm Jobs (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
| Metropolitan Area | May | May | Over-the-Year |
| 2023* | 2022** | Change | |
| Bloomington MSA | 98,200 | 95,200 | 3,000 |
| Carbondale-Marion MSA | 57,200 | 56,500 | 700 |
| Champaign-Urbana MSA | 122,700 | 119,500 | 3,200 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metro Division | 3,804,100 | 3,742,600 | 61,500 |
| Danville MSA | 27,200 | 27,000 | 200 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island MSA | 185,500 | 182,700 | 2,800 |
| Decatur MSA | 48,900 | 48,000 | 900 |
| Elgin Metro Division | 267,300 | 260,600 | 6,700 |
| Kankakee MSA | 43,300 | 43,200 | 100 |
| Lake-County-Kenosha County Metro Division | 423,700 | 416,500 | 7,200 |
| Peoria MSA | 173,700 | 168,800 | 4,900 |
| Rockford MSA | 146,400 | 146,200 | 200 |
| Springfield MSA | 109,500 | 108,700 | 800 |
| Illinois Section of St. Louis MSA | 241,300 | 241,000 | 300 |
| Illinois Statewide | 6,150,100 | 6,030,300 | 119,800 |
| *Preliminary | **Revised |
Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates
(percent) for Local Counties and Areas
| Labor Market Area | May 2023 | May 2022 | Over the Year Change | ||
| Champaign-Urbana MSA | |||||
| Champaign County | 3.7 % | 3.7 % | 0.0 | ||
| Ford County | 4.1 % | 3.8 % | 0.3 | ||
| Piatt County | 3.3 % | 3.2 % | 0.1 | ||
| Danville MSA | |||||
| Vermilion County | 5.2 % | 4.7 % | 0.5 | ||
| Cities | |||||
| Champaign City | 3.6 % | 3.6 % | 0.0 | ||
| Urbana City | 3.8 % | 3.7 % | 0.1 | ||
| Danville City | 5.9 % | 5.1 % | 0.8 | ||
| Counties | |||||
| Clark County | 4.1 % | 3.8 % | 0.3 | ||
| Coles County | 4.0 % | 4.2 % | -0.2 | ||
| Cook County | 3.4 % | 4.8 % | -1.4 | ||
| De Witt County | 4.0 % | 3.7 % | 0.3 | ||
| Douglas County | 3.2 % | 3.2 % | 0.0 | ||
| Edgar County | 3.0 % | 3.3 % | -0.3 | ||
| Iroquois County | 4.1 % | 4.1 % | 0.0 | ||
| McLean County | 3.4 % | 3.5 % | -0.1 | ||
| Macon County | 5.4 % | 5.4 % | 0.0 | ||
| Moultrie County | 3.1 % | 3.1 % | 0.0 | ||
| Sangamon County | 3.8 % | 3.9 % | -0.1 | ||
| Shelby County | 3.8 % | 4.1 % | -0.3 | ||
| Other Areas | |||||
| LWIA 17 | 3.7 % | 3.6 % | 0.1 | ||
| LWIA 18 | 5.2 % | 4.7 % | 0.5 | ||
| East Central EDR | 3.9 % | 3.8 % | 0.1 | ||
East Central Illinois Highlights
Champaign-Urbana MSA
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 3.7 percent in May 2023 from 3.6 percent in May 2022.
Nonfarm employment increased by +3,200 compared to last May.
Government (+1,800), Leisure-Hospitality (+1,000), Educational-Health Services (+600), and Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+400) had the largest payroll gains over the year. The Retail Trade (-300), Professional-Business Services (-300) and Information (-200) sectors had employment declines from a year ago.
Danville MSA
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 5.2 percent in May 2023 from 4.7 percent in May 2022.
Nonfarm employment increased by +200 compared to last May.
Government (+400), Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+100) and Construction (+100) had payroll gains over the year. The Professional-Business Services (-300) and Manufacturing (-100) sectors 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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