For Immediate Release – Thursday, June 27, 2024
Jobs Up in Majority of Metro Areas in May
SPRINGFIELD – Over-the-year, total nonfarm jobs increased in ten metropolitan areas and decreased in four for the year ending May 2024, 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 twelve metropolitan areas, decreased in one and was unchanged in one.
“Steady, consistent job growth continues to benefit workers and employers in every corner of the state,” said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. “Investing in a strong, viable workforce ecosystem which remains advantageous to our diverse labor force continues to be a top priority.”
The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Champaign-Urbana MSA (+2.5%, +3,100), the Bloomington MSA (+1.7%, +1,700), and the Elgin Metro (+1.7%, +4,500). In the Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metropolitan Division, total nonfarm jobs were up +0.1% or +4,900. The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year decreases in total nonfarm jobs were the Springfield MSA (-2.0%, -2,200), the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL MSA (-1.5%, -2,700) and the Decatur MSA (-1.0%, -500). Industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Government (twelve areas); Private Education and Health Services and Other Services (eleven areas each); Wholesale Trade (ten areas); and Manufacturing (eight areas).
The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate increases were the Chicago Metro Division (+1.1 points to 4.8%), and the Bloomington MSA (+0.6 point to 4.2%). The unemployment rate decreased in the Rockford MSA (-0.6 point to 5.6%) and was unchanged in the Decatur MSA.
Unemployment Rates (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
| Metropolitan Area | May 2024* | May 2023** | Over-the-Year Change |
| Bloomington | 4.2% | 3.6% | 0.6 |
| Carbondale-Marion | 4.6% | 4.2% | 0.4 |
| Champaign-Urbana | 4.2% | 3.8% | 0.4 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights | 4.8% | 3.7% | 1.1 |
| Danville | 5.6% | 5.5% | 0.1 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 4.4% | 4.2% | 0.2 |
| Decatur | 5.8% | 5.8% | 0.0 |
| Elgin | 4.9% | 4.5% | 0.4 |
| Kankakee | 5.6% | 5.3% | 0.3 |
| Lake-Kenosha, IL-WI | 4.5% | 4.3% | 0.2 |
| Peoria | 5.0% | 4.6% | 0.4 |
| Rockford | 5.6% | 6.2% | -0.6 |
| Springfield | 4.2% | 3.9% | 0.3 |
| St. Louis (IL-Section) | 4.3% | 3.9% | 0.4 |
| Illinois Statewide | 4.8% | 4.0% | 0.8 |
| * Preliminary I ** Revised |
Total Nonfarm Jobs (Not Seasonally Adjusted) – May 2024
| Metropolitan Area | May | May | Over-the-Year |
| 2024* | 2023** | Change | |
| Bloomington MSA | 99,700 | 98,000 | 1,700 |
| Carbondale-Marion MSA | 58,100 | 57,400 | 700 |
| Champaign-Urbana MSA | 125,800 | 122,700 | 3,100 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metro Division | 3,822,200 | 3,817,300 | 4,900 |
| Danville MSA | 27,000 | 26,900 | 100 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island MSA | 181,400 | 184,100 | -2,700 |
| Decatur MSA | 47,700 | 48,200 | -500 |
| Elgin Metro Division | 268,900 | 264,400 | 4,500 |
| Kankakee MSA | 43,500 | 43,000 | 500 |
| Lake-County-Kenosha County Metro Division | 423,300 | 420,800 | 2,500 |
| Peoria MSA | 171,500 | 171,600 | -100 |
| Rockford MSA | 146,000 | 145,700 | 300 |
| Springfield MSA | 108,000 | 110,200 | -2,200 |
| Illinois Section of St. Louis MSA | 244,500 | 242,600 | 1,900 |
| Illinois Statewide | 6,173,600 | 6,127,100 | 46,500 |
| *Preliminary | **Revised |
Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates
(percent) for Local Counties and Areas
| Labor Market Area | May 2024 | May 2023 | Over-the-Year Change | ||
| Champaign-Urbana MSA | |||||
| Champaign County | 4.2 % | 3.8 % | 0.4 | ||
| Ford County | 4.4 % | 4.3 % | 0.1 | ||
| Piatt County | 3.6 % | 3.5 % | 0.1 | ||
| Danville MSA | |||||
| Vermilion County | 5.6 % | 5.5 % | 0.1 | ||
| Cities | |||||
| Champaign City | 4.3 % | 3.8 % | 0.5 | ||
| Urbana City | 4.5 % | 4.0 % | 0.5 | ||
| Danville City | 6.2 % | 6.2 % | 0.0 | ||
| Counties | |||||
| Clark County | 5.0 % | 4.4 % | 0.6 | ||
| Coles County | 4.6 % | 4.2 % | 0.4 | ||
| Cook County | 5.1 % | 3.9 % | 1.2 | ||
| De Witt County | 4.4 % | 4.2 % | 0.2 | ||
| Douglas County | 3.6 % | 3.4 % | 0.2 | ||
| Edgar County | 3.8 % | 3.3 % | 0.5 | ||
| Iroquois County | 4.7 % | 4.2 % | 0.5 | ||
| McLean County | 4.2 % | 3.6 % | 0.6 | ||
| Macon County | 5.8 % | 5.8 % | 0.0 | ||
| Moultrie County | 3.7 % | 3.4 % | 0.3 | ||
| Sangamon County | 4.3 % | 3.9 % | 0.4 | ||
| Shelby County | 4.5 % | 3.9 % | 0.6 | ||
| Other Areas | |||||
| LWIA 17 | 4.2 % | 3.8 % | 0.4 | ||
| LWIA 18 | 5.6 % | 5.5 % | 0.1 | ||
| East Central EDR | 4.4 % | 4.1 % | 0.3 | ||
East Central Illinois Highlights
Champaign-Urbana MSA
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 4.2 percent in May 2024 from 3.8 percent in May 2023.
Nonfarm employment increased by +3,100 compared to last May.
Private Education-Health Services (+1,900), Government (+1,100), Retail Trade (+700), Mining-Construction (+300), Manufacturing (+200), Other Services (+100) and Wholesale Trade (+100) had payroll gains over-the-year. The Professional-Business Services (-600), Information (-500), Leisure-Hospitality (-100) and Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (-100) sectors had employment declines from a year ago.
Danville MSA
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 5.6 percent in May 2024 from 5.5 percent in May 2023.
Nonfarm employment increased by +100 compared to last May.
Private Education-Health Services (+300), Government (+100), Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+100) and Retail Trade (+100) sectors had payroll gains over-the-year. The Manufacturing (-300), Professional-Business Services (-100) and Wholesale Trade (-100) sectors had employment declines from a year ago.
Note: Monthly 2023 unemployment rates and total nonfarm jobs for Illinois metro areas were revised in February and March 2024, 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.
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 2024 data compared to January 2023 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.
Comments