January 1, 2024 – Over-the-year, the unemployment rate increased in eleven metropolitan areas in Illinois and decreased in three.
In Decatur, the not-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased +0.3 percentage point to 5.1 percent in November 2023 from 4.8 percent in November 2022. There were an estimated 2,335 unemployed people in the labor force in November 2023.
The number of total nonfarm jobs in the Decatur metro area decreased by -700 compared to last November. Employment increased only in the Construction-Mining (+100) sector.
Payrolls were unchanged in Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities, Information, Wholesale Trade, Financial Activities, Educational-Health Services, Leisure-Hospitality and Other Services.
Payroll employment decreased in Manufacturing (-500), Professional-Business Services (-100), Retail Trade (-100) and Government (-100) between November 2022 and November 2023.
The metro areas that had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Danville MSA (+3.0%, +800), the Springfield MSA (+1.5%, +1,700), and the Carbondale-Marion MSA (+1.5%, +900). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago-Metro were up +0.9% or +34,500. The metro areas with the largest over-the-year percentage decreases in total nonfarm jobs were the Decatur MSA (-1.4%, -700), the Rockford MSA (-1.1%, -1,600), and the Kankakee MSA (-0.7%, -300). Industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Government (twelve areas); Education and Health Services (ten areas); and Leisure and Hospitality (nine areas).
The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate increases were the Lake County IL-WI Metro (+0.4 point to 3.9%), the Rockford MSA (+0.4 point to 5.2%), the Decatur MSA (+0.3 point to 5.1%), and the Elgin Metro (+0.3 point to 4.1%). The unemployment rate fell in the Carbondale-Marion MSA (-0.1 point to 3.7%), the Chicago Metro (-0.1 point to 4.3%), and the Springfield MSA (-0.1 point to 3.5%)
