Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) has reported that nonfarm payrolls in the state remained stable in May, with a slight increase of 100 jobs, bringing the total to 6,166,100. The unemployment rate for May was unchanged at 4.8 percent.

Revisions to April's data show a decrease in payrolls from an initial report of an increase of 4,100 jobs to a decrease of 2,400 jobs. Job growth was observed in sectors such as Professional and Business Services (+1,900), Financial Activities (+1,600), and Leisure and Hospitality (+1,100). However, declines were noted in Trade, Transportation and Utilities (-2,800), Government (-2,400), and Private Education and Health Services (-200).

Year-over-year comparisons indicate an increase of 21,200 nonfarm payroll jobs. Significant gains were seen in Private Education and Health Services (+16,100), Leisure and Hospitality (+7,800), and Government (+7,000). Meanwhile, Professional and Business Services (-8,600), Manufacturing (-5,300), and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (-5,000) experienced declines.

Deputy Governor Andy Manar commented on the state's labor market stability amid federal economic policy changes: “Amid continued challenges and changes in economic policies on the federal level, Illinois’ labor market remained stable in May.” DCEO Director Kristin Richards added: “A steady labor market is a testament to the state's strength and commitment to creating economic growth and opportunity for all Illinoisans."

The number of unemployed workers decreased by 1.0% from the previous month to 318,600. Over the past year, this figure has fallen by 5.9%. The labor force saw a minor decline over-the-month but remained nearly unchanged over-the-year.

IDES continues to support jobseekers through various initiatives such as job fairs and Illinois JobLink (IJL), which currently lists 67,400 available positions against 59,637 posted resumes.