Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) reported an increase in nonfarm payrolls by 7,100 jobs in September, while the unemployment rate remained stable at 5.3 percent. This data was based on preliminary information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and released by IDES. A revision to August's figures showed an increase from 800 to 6,700 jobs, with the unemployment rate holding steady at 5.3 percent.

September saw job growth in sectors such as Private Education and Health Services with a gain of 4,600 jobs, Leisure and Hospitality with 3,600 new positions, and Government adding 2,800 jobs. Conversely, Financial Activities and Professional and Business Services each saw a reduction of 3,000 jobs, while Construction decreased by 1,300 jobs.

Deputy Governor Andy Manar stated that "steady, consistent job growth throughout the state mirrors the strength and stability of the Illinois economy." He emphasized IDES's role as a vital resource for both jobseekers and employers across Illinois.

Kristin Richards, Director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), highlighted the importance of investing in workforce development: “Continuing to invest in the state's workforce is critical to building upon our growing economic development efforts.”

The state's unemployment rate exceeded the national average by 1.2 percentage points; nationally it stood at 4.1 percent in September after a slight decrease from August. Over a year-long period, Illinois' unemployment rate increased by 0.6 percentage points from last year's figure of 4.7 percent.

Year-on-year comparisons show an overall increase in nonfarm payroll jobs by 35,400 across Illinois. Significant gains were observed in Government (+43,500), Private Education and Health Services (+28,500), and Other Services (+10,100). However, declines were noted in Professional and Business Services (-32,000), Financial Activities (-9,000), and Information (-3,600).

Unemployment figures indicated that there were approximately 343,700 unemployed workers statewide—a rise of 0.2 percent from August—and up by nearly 13 percent compared to last year’s data for September.

IDES continues its efforts to connect jobseekers with employers through various initiatives such as job fairs and hiring events alongside partners statewide. The department also manages Illinois JobLink (IJL), which currently lists over 87 thousand available positions against nearly sixty thousand posted resumes.