Agencies
Services
Announcement – Thursday, May 27, 2021
Unemployment Rates Down, Jobs Up for Every Metro Area Compared to Last April
Contact: Rebecca Cisco | 217.524.1219
PDF Version
5/27/21 – The number of nonfarm jobs increased over-the-year in all fourteen Illinois metropolitan areas in April according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). The unemployment rate decreased over-the-year in all metro areas. The official, BLS approved sub-state unemployment rate and nonfarm jobs series begins in 1990.
“Decreased unemployment in all 102 counties compared to last spring is a critical component of Illinois’ pandemic recovery, and the administration will continue to deploy every available resource to ensure that this economic rebound is as widespread as possible,” said Deputy Governor Dan Hynes. “That said, COVID-19 is still with us, and the Department remains focused on supporting workers not yet able to rejoin the labor market through benefits as well as job-matching resources.”
The number of nonfarm jobs increased in all fourteen Illinois metropolitan areas. The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Carbondale-Marion MSA (+9.8%, +5,000), the Springfield MSA (+9.0%, +8,400) and the Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division (+8.7%, +31,700). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metropolitan Division rose by +7.3%, +237,900.
Over-the-year, the unemployment rate decreased in all 14 metropolitan areas; the metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were the Rockford MSA (-12.8 points to 9.7%), the Carbondale-Marion MSA (-11.8 points to 5.7%) and the Peoria MSA (-10.7 points to 6.4%). The Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metropolitan Division unemployment rate fell -8.5 points to 7.9%. The unemployment rate also decreased over-the-year in all 102 counties.
Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates
| Metropolitan Area | April 2021* | April 2020** | Over-the-Year Change | |
| Bloomington | 4.8% | 12.9% | | -8.1 |
| Carbondale-Marion | 5.7% | 17.5% | | -11.8 |
| Champaign-Urbana | 4.8% | 11.0% |
| -6.2 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights | 7.9% | 16.4% | | -8.5 |
| Danville | 6.5% | 17.0% | | -10.5 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 5.6% | 15.9% | | -10.3 |
| Decatur | 7.9% | 15.4% | | -7.5 |
| Elgin | 6.3% | 16.8% | | -10.5 |
| Kankakee | 6.9% | 16.2% | | -9.3 |
| Lake-Kenosha, IL-WI | 5.5% | 15.3% | | -9.8 |
| Peoria | 6.4% | 17.1% | | -10.7 |
| Rockford | 9.7% | 22.5% | | -12.8 |
| Springfield | 5.9% | 14.9% | | -9.0 |
| St. Louis (IL-Section) | 5.3% | 15.1% | | -9.8 |
| Illinois Statewide | 7.1% | 16.3% | | -9.2 |
| * Preliminary I ** Revised | | |
Total Nonfarm Jobs (Not Seasonally Adjusted) –April 2021
| | Over-the-Year | ||
| Metropolitan Area | April 2021* | April 2020** | Change |
| Bloomington MSA | 87,700 | 82,800 | 4,900 |
| Carbondale-Marion MSA | 56,100 | 51,100 | 5,000 |
| Champaign-Urbana MSA | 117,600 | 108,600 | 9,000 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metro Division | 3,509,500 | 3,271,600 | 237,900 |
| Danville MSA | 26,500 | 24,600 | 1,900 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island MSA | 175,000 | 161,400 | 13,600 |
| Decatur MSA | 47,400 | 44,900 | 2,500 |
| Elgin Metro Division | 240,800 | 222,800 | 18,000 |
| Kankakee MSA | 42,200 | 40,600 | 1,600 |
| Lake County-Kenosha County Metro Division | 396,400 | 364,700 | 31,700 |
| Peoria MSA | 159,500 | 149,100 | 10,400 |
| Rockford MSA | 134,600 | 127,000 | 7,600 |
| Springfield MSA | 102,100 | 93,700 | 8,400 |
| Illinois Section of St. Louis MSA | 229,900 | 212,600 | 17,300 |
| Illinois Statewide | 5,720,900 | 5,310,300 | 410,600 |
| *Preliminary | **Revised |