The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced on Apr. 16 that the state’s unemployment rate rose to 5.0 percent in February, a slight increase from January’s revised rate of 4.9 percent and up by 0.3 percentage points compared to the same month last year.
The report shows a decrease in total nonfarm payrolls, which fell by 17,800 jobs, or about 0.3 percent, bringing the total number of jobs to approximately 6,137,200 for the month of February. The largest job losses occurred in construction, trade, transportation and utilities, and information sectors. Government and other services were among the few sectors that saw job gains.
Deputy Governor Andy Manar said: “Rising unemployment and jobs decreases reflect the economic instability coming out of Washington right now. The Trump Administration’s policies are creating real headwinds for states and working families across the country. In Illinois, we’re staying focused on fiscal discipline and long-term growth to mitigate those impacts and keep our economy moving forward.”
DCEO Director Kristin Richards said: “The State is committed to increasing economic development and job opportunities for Illinoisians. It is foundational to DCEO’s mission to prioritize initiatives and programs that invest in our state’s biggest asset – our workforce– ensuring all Illinoisians have the support and resources they need to succeed.”
Compared with a year ago, Illinois lost nearly 19,900 nonfarm payroll jobs overall despite some gains in private education, health services, construction, and other services sectors over that period. The number of unemployed persons was reported at around 328,400 for February—up by three percent from January—and up more than five percent from one year ago.
IDES continues its efforts connecting jobseekers with employers through events such as job fairs as well as maintaining Illinois JobLink (IJL), which recently listed over 69,000 available positions alongside more than 55,000 posted resumes.
