SPRINGFIELD – The unemployment rate remained low in area counties for the month ending in April 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES) displayed today.
For April 2023, Madison County had an unemployment rate of 3.5 percent compared to 3.6 percent the same time last year, while Jersey County also had a 3.5 percent unemployment rate compared to 3.4 percent last year at this time and Macoupin County’s rate was 3.5 percent compared to 3.6 percent a year ago. Calhoun County was at 3.8 percent compared to 3.6 percent a year ago and Greene County dropped from 4.0 percent to 3.9 percent this year.
Edwardsville’s unemployment rate has remained steady from 3.1 percent last year to 3.0 percent in April 2023. Alton recorded a 4.8 percent unemployment rate, compared to 4.9 percent in April 2022. Granite City has a 3.3 percent unemployment rate and was the same as a year ago. East St. Louis remained steady at 6.4 percent for April, compared to the same rate a year ago.
Metro East Highlights
The April 2023 unemployment rate for the Illinois Section of the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area was 3.7 percent. The unemployment rate decreased by 0.1 percentage point over-the-year from the April 2022 rate of 3.8 percent. The data is not seasonally adjusted.
The labor force decreased by 94 in April 2023 from 334,497 to 334,403 in April 2022. The number of employed individuals increased by 132 to 322,081 in April 2023 from 321,949 in April 2022. There were 12,322 unemployed people in the labor force in April 2023. The number of unemployed persons decreased by 226 compared to the 12,548 unemployed in April 2022.
Total nonfarm payrolls increased by 600 jobs in April 2023 to 240,100 compared to 239,500 jobs in April 2022.
Payrolls increased in Leisure and Hospitality (+1,100), Educational and Health Services (+1,000), Mining and Construction (+700), Government (+500), Wholesale Trade (+200), and Other Services (+100).
Nonfarm payrolls declined in Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities (-1,100), Retail Trade (-1,100), Professional and Business Services (-600), Manufacturing (-100), and Financial Activities (-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 Governor Andy Manar said. “As new jobs are created, new opportunities become available for those looking to reenter the workforce or shift to another career field.”
The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Champaign-Urbana MSA (+2.7% or +3,200), the Peoria MSA (+2.4% or +4,100), and the Elgin Metro (+2.4% or +6,200). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago Metro Division were up +1.6% or +59,800. The Carbondale-Marion MSA saw no change in total nonfarm jobs.
Industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Education and Health Services (13 areas); Leisure and Hospitality, Other Services and Government (12 areas each); Manufacturing, Wholesale Trade and Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities (nine areas each); and Mining and Construction (eight areas).
The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate increases were the Lake-Kenosha County IL-WI Metro (+0.3 point to 4.3%), followed by the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL MSA (+0.2 point to 3.5%), the Kankakee MSA (+0.2 point to 5.4%), and the Rockford MSA (+0.2 point to 6.2%). The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were the Chicago Metro Division (-1.1 percentage points to 3.2%), a record low unemployment rate for the month of April, followed by the Springfield MSA (-0.4 point to 3.7%), and the Carbondale-Marion MSA (-0.2 point to 3.9%). The unemployment rate was unchanged in the Bloomington MSA (3.4%), the Champaign-Urbana MSA (3.6%), and the Peoria MSA (4.5%).
Unemployment Rates (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
|
Metropolitan Area |
April 2023* |
April 2022** |
Over-the-Year Change |
|
Bloomington |
3.4% |
3.4% |
0.0 |
|
Carbondale-Marion |
3.9% |
4.1% |
-0.2 |
|
Champaign-Urbana |
3.6% |
3.6% |
0.0 |
|
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights |
3.2% |
4.3% |
-1.1 |
|
Danville |
5.0% |
4.9% |
0.1 |
|
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL |
3.5% |
3.3% |
0.2 |
|
Decatur |
5.5% |
5.6% |
-0.1 |
|
Elgin |
4.6% |
4.5% |
0.1 |
|
Kankakee |
5.4% |
5.2% |
0.2 |
|
Lake-Kenosha, IL-WI |
4.3% |
4.0% |
0.3 |
|
Peoria |
4.5% |
4.5% |
0.0 |
|
Rockford |
6.2% |
6.0% |
0.2 |
|
Springfield |
3.7% |
4.1% |
-0.4 |
|
St. Louis (IL-Section) |
3.7% |
3.8% |
-0.1 |
|
Illinois Statewide |
3.7% |
4.3% |
-0.6 |
|
* Preliminary I ** Revised |
Total Nonfarm Jobs (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
|
Metropolitan Area |
April |
April |
Over-the-Year |
|
2023* |
2022** |
Change |
|
|
Bloomington MSA |
98,200 |
96,800 |
1,400 |
|
Carbondale-Marion MSA |
58,100 |
58,100 |
0 |
|
Champaign-Urbana MSA |
123,300 |
120,100 |
3,200 |
|
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metro Division |
3,776,500 |
3,716,700 |
59,800 |
|
Danville MSA |
27,100 |
26,700 |
400 |
|
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island MSA |
183,400 |
181,600 |
1,800 |
|
Decatur MSA |
48,400 |
47,700 |
700 |
|
Elgin Metro Division |
264,200 |
258,000 |
6,200 |
|
Kankakee MSA |
43,100 |
43,000 |
100 |
|
Lake-County-Kenosha County Metro Division |
416,700 |
412,800 |
3,900 |
|
Peoria MSA |
171,900 |
167,800 |
4,100 |
|
Rockford MSA |
145,700 |
144,900 |
800 |
|
Springfield MSA |
109,200 |
107,200 |
2,000 |
|
Illinois Section of St. Louis MSA |
240,100 |
239,500 |
600 |
|
Illinois Statewide |
6,103,700 |
5,989,900 |
113,800 |
|
*Preliminary | **Revised |
Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates
(percent) for Local Counties and Areas
|
Labor Market Area |
Apr 2023 |
Apr 2022 |
Over the Year Change |
||
|
St. Louis (IL-Section) |
3.7 % |
3.8 % |
-0.1 |
||
|
Bond County |
5.4 % |
3.9 % |
1.5 |
||
|
Calhoun County |
3.8 % |
3.6 % |
0.2 |
||
|
Clinton County |
3.0 % |
2.8 % |
0.2 |
||
|
Jersey County |
3.5 % |
3.4 % |
0.1 |
||
|
Macoupin County |
3.5 % |
3.6 % |
-0.1 |
||
|
Madison County |
3.5 % |
3.6 % |
-0.1 |
||
|
Monroe County |
2.6 % |
2.7 % |
-0.1 |
||
|
St. Clair County |
4.1 % |
4.2 % |
-0.1 |
||
|
Cities |
|||||
|
Alton City |
4.8 % |
4.9 % |
-0.1 |
||
|
Belleville City |
4.4 % |
4.5 % |
-0.1 |
||
|
Collinsville City |
3.7 % |
4.1 % |
-0.4 |
||
|
East St. Louis City |
6.4 % |
6.4 % |
0.0 |
||
|
Edwardsville City |
3.0 % |
3.1 % |
-0.1 |
||
|
Granite City |
3.3 % |
3.3 % |
0.0 |
||
|
O’Fallon City |
3.5 % |
3.7 % |
-0.2 |
||
|
Counties |
|||||
|
Greene County |
3.9 % |
4.0 % |
-0.1 |
||
|
Randolph County |
3.4 % |
3.5 % |
-0.1 |
||
|
Washington County |
2.2 % |
2.2 % |
0.0 |
||
|
Other Areas |
|||||
|
LWIA 21 |
3.9 % |
4.0 % |
-0.1 |
||
|
LWIA 22 |
3.6 % |
3.6 % |
0.0 |
||
|
LWIA 24 |
3.7 % |
3.8 % |
-0.1 |
||
|
Southwestern EDR |
3.6 % |
3.7 % |
-0.1 |
Information Services posted no change.
