Jeffrey D. Mays | Director of Employment Security | IDES website
Jeffrey D. Mays | Director of Employment Security | IDES website
Over the past year, total nonfarm jobs have seen varied changes across Illinois' metropolitan areas. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), seven metro areas experienced job growth while another seven saw declines as of November 2024.
Deputy Governor Andy Manar stated, "As job growth reaches across the state, we remain committed to investing in the necessary tools and resources for the state’s strong economic landscape." He emphasized IDES's role in helping match jobseekers with employers.
The Champaign-Urbana MSA led with a 1.7% increase, adding 2,200 jobs. Carbondale-Marion followed with a 1.3% rise (+800 jobs), Rockford with a 1.2% increase (+1,800 jobs), and Springfield also up by 1.2% (+1,300 jobs). Conversely, Danville faced a decline of 1.5%, losing 400 jobs, while Peoria dropped by 1.2%, shedding 2,100 positions. The Chicago Metropolitan Division reported a slight decrease of 0.2%, equating to a loss of 6,700 jobs.
Industries such as Private Education and Health Services showed growth in all fourteen areas surveyed; Other Services grew in twelve areas; Government expanded in eleven regions.
Unemployment rates rose significantly in some regions: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL MSA increased by 1.3 points to reach 5.0%; Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metropolitan Division went up by one point to hit the same rate; Danville's rate climbed by 0.6 points to stand at 5.9%. In contrast, Rockford saw its unemployment rate decrease by 0.4 percentage points to settle at 5.2%. Carbondale-Marion and Decatur MSAs reported no change in their unemployment rates.
IDES continues its mission to provide employment services through initiatives like Job Fairs and platforms such as IllinoisJobLink.com and WorkShare IL while offering comprehensive labor market information and managing unemployment insurance programs.
For more details on IDES services or updates about the department's activities, visit their website at IDES.Illinois.gov.
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