The Quad Cities was among six Illinois metro areas that saw their unemployment rates rise in April, according to the latest monthly jobs numbers released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES).
The data, released by IDES and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, showed the Quad Cities’ jobless rate rose 0.2% to 3.5%, up from 3.3% in April 2022.
The Davenport-Moline-Rock Island metropolitan statistical area (MSA) posted the second highest rate increase in Illinois. The largest unemployment rate increase was in the Lake-Kenosha County Illinois-Wisconsin Metro MSA, where unemployment rose 0.3 point to 4.3%. Following the Quad Cities was the Kankakee MSA (+0.2 point to 5.4%) and the Rockford MSA (+0.2 point to 6.2%).
The unemployment report showed the metro area with the largest unemployment rate decrease in April was Chicago Metro Division (-1.1 point to 3.2%), which had a record low unemployment rate there for the month of April.
Total nonfarm employment in the Quad Cities MSA increased by 1,800 jobs compared to the same period last year.
Across the Quad Cities MSA, five industry sectors showed payroll gains including: Leisure-Hospitality (+1,400), Educational-Health Services (+700), Manufacturing (+400), Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+200), Financial Activities (+100), and Other Services (+100). Employment declines were reported in these Quad Cities’ sectors: Professional-Business Services (-800), Retail Trade (-200), and Information (-100).
“Today’s data provides further evidence that stable and consistent job growth continues to expand in metro areas and industry sectors throughout the state,” Deputy Gov. Andy Manar said in the IDES news release. “As new jobs are created, new opportunities become available for those looking to reenter the workforce or shift to another career field.”
The unemployment rate identifies those who are out of work and seeking employment. A person who exhausts benefits, or is ineligible, still will be reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.
Other April unemployment statistics across the QC region included: Henry County, 4.5% (up 0.2%); Mercer County, 4.1% (up 0.3%) and Rock Island County, 4.3% (up 0.1%), according to IDES.
