Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) has reported an increase in the state's unemployment rate to 5.2% in July, a rise of 0.2 percentage points from June. This comes alongside an increase in nonfarm payrolls by 12,900 jobs during the same period, based on preliminary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Revisions to June's figures show that the unemployment rate remained at 5.0%, while payroll numbers were adjusted from an initial increase of 10,400 jobs to a decrease of 4,300 jobs.

Deputy Governor Andy Manar commented on the employment situation: “Steady job growth continues to drive the Illinois labor market, creating fresh opportunities for new and existing jobseekers entering the state’s growing workforce.” He emphasized IDES's role as a resource for connecting workers with employers across Illinois.

Kristin Richards, Director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), stated: “As job growth continues throughout the state, DCEO remains committed to supporting Illinois’ talented, educated workforce, employers and job seekers.” She highlighted how a strong labor market supports economic growth statewide.

Industry sectors experiencing significant job gains in July included Government (+11,400), Private Education and Health Services (+3,400), and Other Services (+2,300). However, Manufacturing (-2,500), Leisure and Hospitality (-1,500), and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (-800) saw declines in payroll jobs.

Compared to national figures for July where unemployment was at 4.3%, Illinois' rate is higher by 0.9 percentage points. Over the past year since July last year when it stood at 4.4%, there has been an increase of 0.8 percentage points in Illinois' unemployment rate.

Year-over-year comparisons show that total nonfarm payroll jobs have increased by 37,300 positions within Illinois. The most notable increases were seen in Government (+34,200), Private Education and Health Services (+24,400), while Professional and Business Services (-27,200) experienced significant declines.

IDES continues its efforts to link jobseekers with potential employers through various initiatives such as job fairs and hiring events across the state along with maintaining Illinois JobLink (IJL). As per recent data from IJL there are currently over 59 thousand resumes posted against nearly 86 thousand available positions for hire.