Unemployment Rate Falls in All Metros

Jobs increase in ten metros

Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates

Metropolitan Area	Mar. 2018	Mar. 2017		Over-the-Year Change
Bloomington	3.8%	4.4%	-0.6
Carbondale-Marion	4.6%	4.9%	-0.3
Champaign-Urbana	3.8%	4.5%	-0.7
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights	4.2%	4.7%	-0.5
Danville	5.8%	6.5%	-0.7
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL	4.2%	4.9%	-0.7
Decatur	5.2%	5.7%	-0.5
Elgin	4.8%	5.4%	-0.6
Kankakee	5.2%	5.8%	-0.6
Lake-Kenosha, IL-WI	4.4%	5.0%	-0.6
Peoria	5.1%	6.1%	-1.0
Rockford	5.1%	8.4%	-3.3
Springfield	4.1%	4.5%	-0.4
St. Louis (IL-Section)	4.1%	4.7%	-0.6
Illinois Statewide	4.4%	5.0%	-0.6
* Data subject to revision.

Unemployment rates decreased over-the-year in March in all of Illinois’s metropolitan areas, according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). Data also show nonfarm jobs increased in ten of the metropolitan areas.

“We continue to see declining unemployment rates in all areas,” said IDES Director Jeff Mays. “In fact, the March unemployment rate was down in all but one of Illinois’ 102 counties.”

Illinois businesses added jobs in ten metro areas, with the largest increases in: Rockford (+4.5 percent, +6,400), Kankakee (+3.7 percent, +1,700), and Lake (+2.4 percent, +9,700). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metro Division increased (+0.2 percent or +9,100). Illinois businesses lost jobs in three metro areas with the largest losses in: Springfield (-3.0 percent, -3,400), Carbondale-Marion (-2.4 percent, -1,400), and Danville (-1.1 percent, -300).

The industry sectors recording job growth in the majority of metro areas included Manufacturing (9 of 14), Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities (9 of 14), Professional and Business Services, (8 of 14), Leisure and Hospitality (8 of 14), and Government (8 of 14).

Not seasonally adjusted data compares March 2018 with March 2017. The not seasonally adjusted Illinois rate was 4.4 percent in March 2018 and stood at 12.2 percent at its peak in this economic cycle in January 2010. Nationally, the not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in March 2018 and 10.6 percent in January 2010 at its peak. The unemployment rate identifies those who are out of work and looking for work, and is not tied to collecting unemployment insurance benefits.

Total Nonfarm Jobs (Not Seasonally Adjusted) – March 2018

Metropolitan Area	March 2018*	March 2017**		Over-the-Year Change
Bloomington MSA	93,300	93,000	300
Carbondale-Marion MSA	56,800	58,200	-1,400
Champaign-Urbana MSA	112,300	110,900	1,400
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metro Division	3,710,300	3,701,200	9,100
Danville MSA	27,900	28,200	-300
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island MSA	184,300	181,300	3,000
Decatur MSA	50,900	50,800	100
Elgin Metro Division	257,300	253,000	4,300
Kankakee MSA	47,200	45,500	1,700
Lake-County-Kenosha County Metro Division	412,200	402,500	9,700
Peoria MSA	169,300	168,400	900
Rockford MSA	149,300	142,900	6,400
Springfield MSA	110,300	113,700	-3,400
Illinois Section of St. Louis MSA	238,100	238,400	-300
Illinois Statewide	6,021,800	5,979,900	41,900
	Preliminary *Revised

Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates
(percent) for Local Counties and Areas

Labor Market Area	Mar. 2018	Mar. 2017	Over-the-Year Change
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin IL-IN-WI MSA	4.3%	4.8%	-0.5
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metro Division
Cook County	4.4%	4.8%	-0.4
DuPage County	3.4%	3.8%	-0.4
Grundy County	5.6%	6.1%	-0.5
Kendall County	3.8%	4.3%	-0.5
McHenry County	4.1%	4.5%	-0.4
Will County	4.6%	5.0%	-0.4
Elgin, IL Metro Division
DeKalb County	4.1%	5.3%	-1.2
Kane County	4.9%	5.4%	-0.5
Lake & Kenosha Counties, IL-WI Metro Division
Lake County	4.6%	5.2%	-0.6
Cities (with total population of at least 100,000) *
Aurora City	4.4%	4.9%	-0.5
Chicago City	4.5%	5.0%	-0.5
Elgin City	6.5%	6.9%	-0.4
Joliet City	6.1%	6.5%	-0.4
Naperville City	3.0%	3.4%	-0.4