SPRINGFIELD - Total nonfarm jobs increased in thirteen metropolitan areas and decreased in one for the year ending February 2023, according to data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES). Over-the-year, the unemployment rate decreased in seven areas, increased in five areas and was unchanged in two.

"Today's data is further indication that job growth continues to trend in the right direction with expansion throughout every corner of the state across sectors," said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. "Job expansion creates new and growing career opportunities for jobseekers and the demand for employers to invest in and retain the talented and diverse Illinois labor force."

The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Bloomington MSA (+4.8%, +4,500), the Peoria MSA (3.9%, +6,400), and the Champaign-Urbana MSA (+3.4%, +4,000). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago Metropolitan Division were up +2.1% or +77,500. Total nonfarm jobs were down in the Illinois section of the St. Louis MSA (-0.4%, -1,000). Industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Mining and Construction and Leisure and Hospitality (fourteen areas each); Education and Health Services, Other Services and Government (thirteen areas each); Manufacturing and Wholesale Trade (eleven areas each); Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities (ten areas).

The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were in the Chicago Metropolitan Division (-0.9 point to 4.1%), the Rockford MSA (-0.8 point to 6.3%), and the Decatur MSA (-0.6 point to 5.9%). The largest unemployment rate increases were in the Lake County-Kenosha County Metro (+0.4 point to 5.4%), the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL MSA (+0.3%, +4.6%) and the Elgin Metro (+0.3 point to 5.9%). The unemployment rate was unchanged in the Bloomington MSA (4.0%) and the Champaign-Urbana MSA (4.1%).

Metro Area Unemployment Rates (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Metropolitan Area	February 2023*	February 2022**	Over-the-Year Change
Bloomington	4.0%	4.0%	0.0
Carbondale-Marion	4.5%	4.7%	-0.2
Champaign-Urbana	4.1%	4.1%	0.0
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights	4.1%	5.0%	-0.9
Danville	6.0%	5.8%	0.2
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL	4.6%	4.3%	0.3
Decatur	5.9%	6.5%	-0.6
Elgin	5.9%	5.6%	0.3
Kankakee	6.5%	6.4%	0.1
Lake-Kenosha, IL-WI	5.4%	5.0%	0.4
Peoria	5.4%	5.5%	-0.1
Rockford	6.3%	7.1%	-0.8
Springfield	4.6%	4.9%	-0.3
St. Louis (IL-Section)	4.1%	4.3%	-0.2
Illinois Statewide	4.5%	5.1%	-0.6
* Preliminary  I  ** Revised

Total Nonfarm Jobs (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates

(percent) for Local Counties and Areas

Labor Market Area	Feb 2023	Feb 2022	Over the Year Change
Champaign-Urbana MSA
Champaign County	4.1 %	4.0 %	0.1
Ford County	4.8 %	5.0 %	-0.2
Piatt County	4.0 %	4.2 %	-0.2
Danville MSA
Vermilion County	6.0 %	5.8 %	0.2
Cities
Champaign City	3.8 %	3.5 %	0.3
Urbana City	4.0 %	3.5 %	0.5
Danville City	6.1 %	5.4 %	0.7
Counties
Clark County	4.8 %	5.1 %	-0.3
Coles County	4.3 %	4.5 %	-0.2
Cook County	4.2 %	5.4 %	-1.2
De Witt County	4.6 %	4.9 %	-0.3
Douglas County	4.0 %	3.7 %	0.3
Edgar County	3.8 %	3.8 %	0.0
Iroquois County	6.0 %	6.1 %	-0.1
McLean County	3.9 %	3.9 %	0.0
Macon County	5.9 %	6.5 %	-0.6
Moultrie County	3.4 %	3.5 %	-0.1
Sangamon County	4.5 %	4.9 %	-0.4
Shelby County	4.6 %	5.0 %	-0.4
Other Areas
LWIA 17	4.2 %	4.2 %	0.0
LWIA 18	6.0 %	5.8 %	0.2
East Central EDR	4.5 %	4.5 %	0.0

East Central Illinois Highlights

Champaign-Urbana MSA

The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 4.1 percent in February 2023 was unchanged from the February 2022 level.

Nonfarm employment increased by +4,000 compared to last February.

Government (+1,400), Educational-Health Services (+900), Leisure-Hospitality (+900), and Construction (+500) had the largest payroll gains over the year. The Retail Trade (-400) and Information (-100) sectors had employment declines from a year ago.

Danville MSA

The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 6.0 percent in February 2023 from 5.8 percent in February 2022.

Nonfarm employment increased by +500 compared to last February.

Government (+400), Construction (+100), Wholesale Trade (+100), Leisure-Hospitality (+100), Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+100), Educational-Health Services (+100), and Manufacturing (+100) had payroll gains over the year. The Professional-Business Services (-400) and Financial Activities (-100) sectors had employment declines from a year ago.

Note: Monthly 2022 unemployment rates and total nonfarm jobs for Illinois metro areas were revised in February and March 2023, as required by the U.S. BLS. Comments and tables distributed for prior metro area news releases should be discarded as any records or historical analysis previously cited may no longer be valid. The official monthly unemployment rate series for metro areas, counties and most cities begins in 1990. The official monthly nonfarm jobs series for metro areas begins in 1990 and for non-metropolitan counties it begins in 1999.

Disclaimer: The data contained in the metro area employment numbers press releases are not seasonally adjusted, and therefore are subject to seasonal fluctuations due to factors such as changes in weather, harvests, major holidays, and school schedules. Current monthly metro data should be compared to the same month from prior years (February 2023 data compared to February 2022 data) as data for these months have similar seasonal patterns. Comparisons should not be made to data for the immediate previous month or other previous non-matching months, as any changes in the data within these time periods may be the result of seasonal fluctuations and not economic factors.