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The unemployment rate decreased in all twelve metro areas for the year ending May 2025, according to data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES).
Over-the-year, total nonfarm jobs increased in four metropolitan areas, leading to consecutive months with year-over-year growth: Champaign (4 consecutive months); Chicago (11 consecutive months); Elgin (9 consecutive months); Springfield (19 consecutive months).
“With every metro area experiencing a year-over- year decrease in their unemployment rates, coupled with significant consecutive months of payroll jobs gains in four of our areas across the state, the Illinois economy continues to showcase stability and resilience,” said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. “We remain committed to ensuring vital investments in workforce development opportunities that encourage and create new and growing economic activity across the state.”
The metro areas which posted the largest over-the- year decreases in total nonfarm jobs were the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island MSA (IL Section) (-2.8%, -2,500), the Kankakee MSA
(- 1.8%, -800), the Bloomington MSA (-1.7%, -1,600), and the Decatur MSA (-1.7%, -800). The metro areas which had the largest over-the- year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Champaign-Urbana MSA (+3.0%, +3,500), the Chicago Metro Division (+0.5%, +17,400), the Elgin Metro Division (+0.3%, +1,000), and the Springfield MSA (+0.3%, +300). Industries that saw job growth in the majority of the twelve metro areas included: Private Education and Health Services (ten areas); Mining and Construction and Financial Activities (seven areas each).
The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were the Champaign-Urbana MSA (-1.0 point to 3.2%), the Elgin Metropolitan Division (-0.9 point to 3.6%), and the Lake County Metro Division (-0.9 point to 3.6%). The Chicago Metro Division reported a decrease of -0.2 point to 4.9%.
| Unemployment Rates (Not Seasonally Adjusted) | |||
|
Metropolitan Area |
May 2025* |
May 2024** |
Over- the-
Year Change |
| Bloomington | 3.1% | 3.7% | -0.6 |
| Champaign-Urbana | 3.2% | 4.2% | -1.0 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg | 4.9% | 5.1% | -0.2 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island (IL Section) | 4.3% | 4.9% | -0.6 |
| Decatur | 5.0% | 5.5% | -0.5 |
| Elgin | 3.6% | 4.5% | -0.9 |
| Kankakee | 4.5% | 5.3% | -0.8 |
| Lake | 3.6% | 4.5% | -0.9 |
| Peoria | 3.8% | 4.6% | -0.8 |
| Rockford | 4.4% | 5.2% | -0.8 |
| Springfield | 3.4% | 4.0% | -0.6 |
| St. Louis (IL Section) | 3.4% | 4.2% | -0.8 |
| Illinois Statewide | 4.4% | 4.8% | -0.4 |
| * Preliminary I ** Revised | |||
Total Nonfarm Jobs (Not Seasonally Adjusted) – May 2025
| Metropolitan Area | May | May | Over-the-Year |
| 2025* | 2024** | Change | |
| Bloomington | 95,100 | 96,700 | -1,600 |
| Champaign-Urbana | 121,700 | 118,200 | 3,500 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg | 3,821,200 | 3,803,800 | 17,400 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island (IL Section) | 87,200 | 89,700 | -2,500 |
| Decatur | 47,100 | 47,900 | –800 |
| Elgin | 299,400 | 298,400 | 1,000 |
| Kankakee | 42,600 | 43,400 | –800 |
| Lake | 347,400 | 349,100 | -1,700 |
| Peoria | 173,100 | 173,900 | –800 |
| Rockford | 146,900 | 147,000 | –100 |
| Springfield | 112,400 | 112,100 | 300 |
| St. Louis (IL Section) | 244,000 | 244,900 | –900 |
| Illinois Statewide | 6,187,100 | 6,162,900 | 24,200 |
| *Preliminary | **Revised | |||
Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates
(percent) for Local Counties and Areas
|
Labor Market Area |
May 2025 |
May 2024 |
Over-the- Year Change |
| Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg, IL Metro Division | |||
| Cook County | 5.1 % | 5.3 % | –0.2 |
| DuPage County | 4.1 % | 4.3 % | –0.2 |
| Grundy County | 4.6 % | 5.1 % | –0.5 |
| McHenry County | 4.1 % | 4.3 % | –0.2 |
| Will County | 4.6 % | 4.9 % | –0.3 |
| Elgin, IL Metro Division | |||
| DeKalb County | 3.5 % | 4.4 % | –0.9 |
| Kane County | 3.6 % | 4.5 % | –0.9 |
| Kendall County | 3.4 % | 4.3 % | –0.9 |
| Lake County, IL Metro Division | |||
| Lake County | 3.6 % | 4.5 % | –0.9 |
| Kankakee, IL MSA | |||
| Kankakee County | 4.5 % | 5.3 % | –0.8 |
| Cities | |||
| Aurora City | 3.9 % | 4.4 % | –0.5 |
| Chicago City | 5.2 % | 5.4 % | –0.2 |
| Elgin City | 4.2 % | 5.3 % | –1.1 |
| Joliet City | 5.0 % | 5.4 % | –0.4 |
| Kankakee City | 5.9 % | 6.6 % | –0.7 |
| Naperville City | 4.1 % | 4.3 % | –0.2 |
Kankakee, IL MSA
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 4.5 percent in May 2025 from 5.3 percent in May 2024.
Total nonfarm employment decreased -800 compared to May 2024. The Mining-Construction (+100) and Financial Activities (+100) sectors had payroll gains over-the-year. The Professional-Business Services (-200), Transportation- Warehousing-Utilities (-200), Retail Trade (-200), Manufacturing (-100), Wholesale Trade (-100), Private Education-Health Services (-100) and Government (-100) sectors had employment declines from a year ago.
Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg, IL Metro Division
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 4.9 percent in May 2025 from 5.1 percent in May 2024.
Total nonfarm employment increased +17,400 compared to May 2024. The Private Education-Health Services (+11,900), Leisure-Hospitality (+7,300), Government (+6,300) and Financial Activities (+4,200) sectors had the largest payroll gains over-the-year. The Professional-Business Services (-6,400), Retail Trade (-3,800) and Manufacturing (-3,700) sectors had the largest employment declines from a year ago.
Elgin, IL Metro Division
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 3.6 percent in May 2025 from 4.5 percent in May 2024.
Total nonfarm employment increased +1,000 compared to May 2024. The Government (+2,000), Private Education-Health Services (+1,300) and Financial Activities (+300) sectors had the largest payroll gains over-the-year. The Leisure-Hospitality (-1,300), Professional-Business Services (-900) and Manufacturing (-700) sectors had employment declines from a year ago.
Lake County, IL Metro Division
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 3.6 percent in May 2025 from 4.5 percent in May 2024.
Total nonfarm employment decreased -1,700 compared to May 2024. The Private Education-Health Services (+1,500), Leisure-Hospitality (+1,500), Government (+500), Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+100) and Manufacturing (+100) sectors had payroll gains over-the-year. The Professional-Business Services (-2,500), Retail Trade (-1,200), Financial Activities (-1,100), Other Services (-200) and Wholesale Trade (-200) sectors had the largest employment declines from a year ago.
Note: Monthly 2024 unemployment rates and total nonfarm jobs for Illinois metro areas were revised in February and March 2025, as required by the U.S. BLS. Comments and tables distributed for prior metro area news releases should be discarded as any records or historical analysis previously cited may no longer be valid.
Disclaimer: The data contained in the metro area employment numbers press releases are not seasonally adjusted, and therefore are subject to seasonal fluctuations due to factors such as changes in weather, harvests, major holidays and school schedules. Current monthly metro data should be compared to the same month from prior years (January 2025 data compared to January 2024 data) as data for these months have similar seasonal patterns. Comparisons should not be made to data for the immediate previous month or other previous non-matching months, as any changes in the data within these time periods may be the result of seasonal fluctuations and not economic factors.
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