Pexels.com / Sora Shimazaki
Pexels.com / Sora Shimazaki
Illinois posted 102,000 fewer job openings in May as compared to April, representing a drop of 1.5 percentage points and the biggest rate drop among the 50 states, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Illinois’ job-opening data was also out of step with its Midwest neighbors, according to the Illinois Policy Institute, since those states recorded much smaller drops in job-opening rates. And nationally, the job-opening rate decline from April to May was under a third of a percentage point, BLS data shows.
The Prairie State added only 13,400 jobs in May, the institute reported, an indication of what could be a slowdown in Illinois business transactions. The state is also seeing hiring freezes and major companies relocating their headquarters to other parts of the nation.
Illinois has the highest unemployment rate in the Midwest, meaning that a future recession could hit the state harder than other regions, the institute said.
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Job-opening Levels and Rates by State
| State | April Job Openings (in Thousands) | May Job Openings (in Thousands) | April Job Opening Rate | May Job Opening Rate | Change Between April and May (% Points) | Rank Based on % Point Change |
| Massachusetts | 309 | 338 | 7.8 | 8.4 | 0.6 | 1 |
| Connecticut | 111 | 120 | 6.3 | 6.8 | 0.5 | 2 (tie) |
| Pennsylvania | 448 | 478 | 7 | 7.5 | 0.5 | 2 (tie) |
| Utah | 108 | 116 | 6.1 | 6.5 | 0.4 | 4 |
| Mississippi | 85 | 89 | 6.8 | 7.1 | 0.3 | 5 |
| Arkansas | 96 | 98 | 6.8 | 7 | 0.2 | 6 (tie) |
| Washington | 229 | 240 | 6.2 | 6.4 | 0.2 | 6 (tie) |
| California | 1,251 | 1,283 | 6.7 | 6.8 | 0.1 | 8 (tie) |
| Louisiana | 156 | 160 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 0.1 | 8 (tie) |
| Idaho | 60 | 60 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 0 | 11 (tie) |
| Maryland | 227 | 227 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 0 | 11 (tie) |
| Minnesota | 235 | 236 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 0 | 11 (tie) |
| Montana | 45 | 45 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 0 | 11 (tie) |
| New Jersey | 288 | 285 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 0 | 11 (tie) |
| Rhode Island | 41 | 41 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 0 | 11 (tie) |
| Maine | 50 | 49 | 7.3 | 7.2 | -0.1 | 17 (tie) |
| New Hampshire | 56 | 55 | 7.6 | 7.5 | -0.1 | 17 (tie) |
| South Carolina | 180 | 179 | 7.6 | 7.5 | -0.1 | 17 (tie) |
| Colorado | 229 | 220 | 7.4 | 7.2 | -0.2 | 20 (tie) |
| Delaware | 35 | 34 | 7.1 | 6.9 | -0.2 | 20 (tie) |
| New Mexico | 68 | 66 | 7.4 | 7.2 | -0.2 | 20 (tie) |
| North Carolina | 396 | 386 | 7.7 | 7.5 | -0.2 | 20 (tie) |
| Ohio | 431 | 420 | 7.3 | 7.1 | -0.2 | 20 (tie) |
| Oklahoma | 128 | 125 | 7.1 | 6.9 | -0.2 | 20 (tie) |
| Texas | 1,002 | 974 | 7 | 6.8 | -0.2 | 20 (tie) |
| Virginia | 316 | 321 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 0.1 | 20 (tie) |
| Missouri | 240 | 229 | 7.6 | 7.3 | -0.3 | 27 (tie) |
| Tennessee | 265 | 253 | 7.6 | 7.3 | -0.3 | 27 (tie) |
| Vermont | 27 | 26 | 8.3 | 8 | -0.3 | 27 (tie) |
| Wyoming | 24 | 23 | 7.8 | 7.5 | -0.3 | 27 (tie) |
| Alaska | 30 | 28 | 8.6 | 8.2 | -0.4 | 31 (tie) |
| Kentucky | 178 | 168 | 8.4 | 8 | -0.4 | 31 (tie) |
| Michigan | 369 | 351 | 7.9 | 7.5 | -0.4 | 31 (tie) |
| New York | 581 | 538 | 5.8 | 5.4 | -0.4 | 31 (tie) |
| Oregon | 147 | 137 | 7 | 6.6 | -0.4 | 31 (tie) |
| Alabama | 157 | 148 | 7.1 | 6.6 | -0.5 | 36 (tie) |
| Nevada | 115 | 107 | 7.4 | 6.9 | -0.5 | 36 (tie) |
| West Virginia | 60 | 57 | 7.9 | 7.4 | -0.5 | 36 (tie) |
| Arizona | 222 | 200 | 6.8 | 6.2 | -0.6 | 39 (tie) |
| Indiana | 250 | 229 | 7.3 | 6.7 | -0.6 | 39 (tie) |
| Iowa | 131 | 120 | 7.7 | 7.1 | -0.6 | 39 (tie) |
| Kansas | 110 | 100 | 7.3 | 6.7 | -0.6 | 39 (tie) |
| Nebraska | 86 | 79 | 7.7 | 7.1 | -0.6 | 39 (tie) |
| South Dakota | 37 | 34 | 7.6 | 7 | -0.6 | 39 (tie) |
| Florida | 729 | 660 | 7.3 | 6.6 | -0.7 | 45 (tie) |
| Wisconsin | 252 | 226 | 7.9 | 7.2 | -0.7 | 45 (tie) |
| North Dakota | 36 | 32 | 7.8 | 7 | -0.8 | 47 |
| Georgia | 436 | 367 | 8.4 | 7.1 | -1.3 | 48 (tie) |
| Hawaii | 54 | 45 | 8.2 | 6.9 | -1.3 | 48 (tie) |
| Illinois | 507 | 405 | 7.8 | 6.3 | -1.5 | 50 |
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