Unemployment rates have seen a slight increase in Illinois, although there has also been a rise in non-farm payroll jobs, as revealed by recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security released statistics on Friday, which were provided by the BLS, revealing that the state’s unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage point from 4.7% to 4.8% in December. However, despite this rise, Illinois managed to gain 1,200 payroll jobs.
The leisure and hospitality industry experienced the highest job growth, adding 3,300 new positions. This was followed by the educational and health services sector, which saw an increase of 1,700 jobs, and the government sector, which added 1,100 jobs.
Conversely, the trade, transportation, and utilities industry experienced the largest decline, with 4,900 jobs lost. The information industry also saw a decrease of 1,200 jobs, while other services saw a decline of 400 jobs.
Deputy Governor Andy Manar expressed his satisfaction with the latest report, which highlights a year of robust job growth and ongoing efforts to stabilize the state’s labor market.
He emphasized IDES’s unwavering commitment to supporting workforce and employer opportunities and fostering a strong connection between the two as we enter the new year. In December 2022, Illinois experienced a comparable trend, with a slightly higher unemployment rate of 4.6% and an increase of 57,800 jobs.
