Statewide Payroll Jobs Up, Unemployment Rate Stable in September

Contact: Rebecca Cisco | 217.524.1219
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The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.5 percent, while nonfarm payrolls increased by +14,500 in September, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and released by IDES. The August monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from +4,100 to +4,500 jobs. The August unemployment rate was unchanged from the preliminary report, remaining at 4.5 percent. The September payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th.

In September, the industry sectors with the largest over-the-month gains in employment include: Educational and Health Services (+5,400), Government (+3,900), and Professional and Business Services (+3,800). The industry sectors that reported monthly payroll declines included:  Leisure and Hospitality (-2,500), and Information (-400).  

“Today’s data is a clear indicator that the Illinois labor market continues to remain strong and stable,” said Deputy Governor Andy Manar.  “As continued claims levels remain at historical lows, IDES is committed to connecting jobseekers and employers throughout the state with the tools and resources they need to take advantage of the current landscape.”

“Illinois’ employment growth has outpaced the nation over the past year and is a positive sign of continued economic recovery in Illinois’ strong labor market,” said DCEO Director Sylvia I. Garcia.  “Looking ahead, DCEO will continue to focus on key industries and segments of the workforce in need of additional support.”

The state’s unemployment rate was +1.0 percentage point higher than the national unemployment rate reported for September, which was 3.5 percent, down -0.2 percentage point from the previous month. The Illinois unemployment rate was down -1.0 percentage point from a year ago when it was at 5.5 percent.

Compared to a year ago, nonfarm payroll employment increased by +238,800 jobs, with gains across nearly all major industries. The industry groups with the largest jobs increases include: Leisure and Hospitality (+52,900), Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+51,700), and Professional and Business Services (+51,200). The Mining sector reported a small decrease in payroll employment (-100). In September, total nonfarm payrolls were up +4.1 percent over-the-year in Illinois and up +3.9 percent in the nation.

The number of unemployed workers was up slightly from the prior month, a +0.2 percent increase to 290,600 and was down -17.3 percent over the same month one year ago. The labor force was down slightly (-0.2 percent) over-the-month and up +1.8 percent over-the-year. The unemployment rate identifies those individuals who are out of work and seeking employment. An individual who exhausts or is ineligible for benefits is still reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.

In May 2020, Governor Pritzker launched Get Hired Illinois, a new one-stop-shop website to help connect job seekers with hiring employers in real time. The site features virtual job fairs, no-cost virtual training, and includes IllinoisJobLink.com (IJL), the state’s largest job search engine, which recently showed 44,593 posted resumes with 149,526 available jobs.

Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates -see PDF-

Illinois Seasonally Adjusted Nonfarm Jobs – by Major Industry -see PDF-

• Monthly 2017-2021 seasonally adjusted labor force data for Illinois, and all other states, have been revised as required by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  The monthly historical revisions to state labor force estimates reflect new national benchmark controls, state working-age population controls, outlier specifications, seasonal factors, as well as updated total nonfarm jobs and unemployment benefits claims inputs.  Illinois labor force data were also smoothed to eliminate large monthly changes as a result of volatility in the monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) and national benchmarking. For these reasons, the comments and tables citing unemployment rates in previous news releases/materials may no longer be valid.
• Monthly seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for Illinois and the Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metropolitan Division are available here.
• Monthly 2017-2021 seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment data for Illinois have been revised. To control for potential survey error, the estimates are benchmarked annually to universal counts derived primarily from unemployment insurance tax reports.
• Not seasonally adjusted jobs data with industry detail are available here. “Other Services” include activities in three broad categories: personal and laundry; repair and maintenance; and religious, grant making, civic and professional organizations.  Seasonally adjusted data for subsectors within industries are not available.

About the Department of Employment Security

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) provides vital employment services to Illinois workers, employers, and job seekers with resources including Job Fairs and IllinoisJobLink.com, analyzes and disseminates actionable Labor Market Information, and administers the Unemployment Insurance Program.  To see the full range of services provided by IDES, and for the latest news concerning the department, visit IDES.Illinois.gov.