Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) reported that nonfarm payrolls in the state decreased by 2,400 jobs in October, while the unemployment rate remained steady at 5.3 percent. This data, sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), reflects activity for the week including October 12th.

Revisions to September's figures show a decrease in payrolls from an initially reported increase of 7,100 to a loss of 15,800 jobs. Despite these changes, the unemployment rate for September was confirmed at 5.3 percent.

October saw job losses in several sectors: Trade, Transportation, and Utilities lost 1,900 jobs; Other Services dropped by 1,000; Information decreased by 300; and Professional and Business Services also fell by 300 jobs. However, some sectors experienced growth: Leisure and Hospitality added 1,400 jobs; Manufacturing gained 100; and Private Education and Health Services increased by 100 positions.

Deputy Governor Andy Manar emphasized Illinois' commitment to enhancing workforce investments: “Illinois continues to prioritize capitalizing on opportunities to enhance investments in the workforce and to support the talented and diverse labor force across the state.” Kristin Richards, Director of DCEO, highlighted ongoing efforts: "DCEO is dedicated to continuing our efforts to ensure Illinois remains a place of opportunity and the best place to live, work and do business."

The state's unemployment rate is currently higher than the national average of 4.1 percent for October. Over the past year, Illinois' unemployment rate has risen by half a percentage point from last year's figure of 4.8 percent.

In terms of job growth over the year, total nonfarm payroll jobs increased by 40,500 in Illinois. Significant gains were seen in Private Education and Health Services with an addition of 30,400 jobs; Government with an increase of 22,300 jobs; and Other Services which grew by 9,200 jobs. Conversely, Professional and Business Services saw a decline of 18,400 positions; Financial Activities dropped by 8,000; and Information lost about 1,600 jobs.

The number of unemployed individuals rose slightly over both monthly (+0.8%) and yearly (+12.5%) periods with a total count reaching approximately 346,400 people actively seeking employment.

IDES continues its mission to connect jobseekers with employers through various initiatives such as job fairs and maintaining Illinois JobLink (IJL), which currently lists over 84,752 available positions against more than 60,382 posted resumes.

For more detailed information on IDES services or recent updates from the department visit their official website at IDES.Illinois.gov.