Jobs were up in all 14 of Illinois metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) in May, including the Quad Cities, which added 2,800 jobs.
At the same time, however, the region was one of a trio of MSAs to record the highest year-over-year May unemployment rate increases in the state.
The May 2023 unemployment rate for the Davenport, Moline, Rock Island MSA stands at 3.9%. That’s up 0.5% over 2022, according to data recently released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES).
The Danville MSA in May 2023 stood at 5.2% also up 0.5% over 2022 and the Lake-Kenosha County Illinois-Wisconsin MSA was up 0.4% to 4.1% this May.
In the Quad Cities, total nonfarm employment increased by 2,800 jobs compared to May 2022. The state’s biggest year-over-year job gains came in the Bloomington MSA, which was up 3,200 jobs, and the Peoria MSA, which added 4,900 jobs in May from a year ago.
According to IDES, the Quad Cities region’s job gains in May across industry sectors included:
- Leisure-Hospitality +1,800.
- Education-Health Services +700.
- Manufacturing +300.
- Other services +200.
- Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities +200.
- Government +200.
Sectors with job losses in the month of May included:
- Professional-Business Services -300.
- Retail Trade -200
- Information -100.
The Quad Cities unemployment rate increased across several Illinois counties during the month.
Those with year-over-year changes in the metro Quad Cities were:
- Henry County 4.6%, +0.5%.
- Mercer County 4.0%, +0.5%.
- Rock Island County 4.7%, +0.5%.
The year-over-year May unemployment rate changes by city included:
- Moline 4.4%, +0.4%
- Rock Island 4.7%, +0.5%.
- Galesburg 5.4%, -0.2%.
The unemployment rate identifies those who are out of work and seeking employment, according to IDES. A person who exhausts benefits, or is ineligible, still will be reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.
“Illinois continues to experience steady, persistent job growth across the state, a trend that has continued for more than two years,” Deputy Governor Andy Manar said in the IDES news release. “IDES remains a critical resource connecting workers and employers to fill newly created positions as job growth expansion continues across industries and metro areas.”
