February Illinois unemployment sees modest rise to 4.8%

The State of Illinois’ unemployment rate rose a modest +0.1% to 4.8% in February while nonfarm payrolls climbed by 23,100 jobs in the month. The Illinois unemployment rate also was up +0.5 percentage point from a year ago when it was 4.3%.

The state’s unemployment rate also was +0.9 percentage point higher than the national unemployment rate reported for February, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). Comparatively, the national unemployment rate was 3.9% in February, up +0.2% from the previous month. 

In February, the industry sectors with the largest over-the-month job gains in Illinois included: Government, +6,700; Construction, +6,200; and Leisure and Hospitality, +5,400, IDES reported. The Illinois industry sectors with monthly payroll job declines included: Trade, Transportation and Utilities, -1,900; Manufacturing, -700; and Financial Activities, -600.  

The January revised unemployment rate for the state was 4.7%, unchanged from the preliminary January report. But the January monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report of +1,700 jobs to a decrease of 900 jobs.  The February unemployment rate and payroll jobs estimate reflect activity for the week including the 12th.

“Job growth throughout the state across industry sectors is a testament to the strength and stability of the diverse Illinois workforce,” Illinois Deputy Gov. Andy Manar said in the IDES news release.  “Continued statewide investment in workforce development is giving jobseekers and employers new tools and opportunities to thrive in the expanding state economy.”

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Kristin Richards added: “DCEO is consistently prioritizing the development and implementation of strategies and programs to bolster our state’s workforce and local economies. As Illinois’ payroll jobs continue to grow, DCEO is committed to building upon that momentum, while ensuring jobseekers have the tools, resources, and support they need to be successful.”

Compared to a year ago, nonfarm payroll in Illinois increased by 13,500 jobs, with gains across most major industries. The industry groups with the largest job increases included: Government (+26,700), Educational and Health Services (+23,400), and Leisure and Hospitality (+10,300). The industry groups with the largest jobs decreases included: Professional and Business Services (-37,700), Trade, Transportation and Utilities (-8,100), and Information (-7,700). In February, total nonfarm payrolls were up 0.2% over-the-year in Illinois and up 1.8% in the nation.

Overall, in Illinois, the number of unemployed workers was 308,900. That’s up 1.1% from the prior month, and up 11.6% over the same month one year ago. The labor force was almost unchanged over-the-month and up 1.1% 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 June 2020, Gov. J.B. Pritzker launched Get Hired Illinois, a 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 58,380 posted resumes with 91,620 available jobs.