Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage point to 5.0 percent, while nonfarm payrolls increased by 10,400 in June, based on preliminary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The revised May unemployment rate was 4.9 percent, unchanged from the preliminary figure. May's monthly change in payrolls was revised from +12,700 to +9,600 jobs.

In June, sectors with notable job gains included Private Education and Health Services (+7,100), Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+3,200), and Government (+2,800). Sectors experiencing declines were Leisure and Hospitality (-1,800), Information (-1,100), and Professional and Business Services (-1,000).

"Stable payroll job growth remains a positive component of the Illinois economy," said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. "As jobs continue to expand... IDES stands ready to assist workers and employers."

"Illinois' labor market remains strong with consistent growth in payroll jobs," added DCEO Director Kristin Richards.

The state's unemployment rate was 0.9 percentage points higher than the national rate for June at 4.1 percent. Compared to a year ago when it was 4.3 percent, Illinois’ current rate is up by 0.7 percentage points.

Year-over-year total nonfarm payroll jobs increased by +24,200 jobs with major gains in Private Education and Health Services (+26,400) and Government (+26,400). Significant declines were seen in Professional and Business Services (-27,000) and Financial Activities (-7,500).

The number of unemployed workers stood at 327,900 in June—a rise of 3.3 percent from the previous month—and up by 18.7 percent compared to last year’s figures.

IDES connects jobseekers with employers through various initiatives including job fairs and Illinois JobLink (IJL)—the state’s largest job search engine which currently lists nearly 85,187 available positions.

Revised historical labor force data for Illinois reflect updates such as new national benchmark controls and adjustments for survey error.

For more information about IDES services or recent news concerning employment security within Illinois visit IDES.Illinois.gov.