SPRINGFIELD – The unemployment rate around the region is under 4.0 percent in nearly all of the counties and Edwardsville and Alton unemployment numbers also are positive in the March 2023 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Illinois Department of Employment Security analysis.
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As far as area counties, Madison County has a 3.5 percent unemployment rate in March 2023, down from 3.9 percent in March 2022, Calhoun remained steady at 4.2 percent compared to 4.2 percent last year in March, and Jersey was 3.5 percent compared to 3.7 percent in 2022. St. Clair County was 4.0 percent in March 2023, compared to 4.5 percent in 2022. Macoupin County is at 3.5 percent compared to 4.0 percent at this time last year. Greene County is 3.9 percent compared to 4.3 percent in March 2022.
Alton has an unemployment rate of 4.6 percent in March 2023, compared to 5.2 percent a year ago. Edwardsville has a 2.8 percent unemployment rate in March 2023 compared to 2022 at the same time and Granite City is at 3.1 percent, compared to 3.4 percent.
“Over the last 24 consecutive months, job growth has remained consistent throughout industry sectors in metro areas across the state,” said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. “Newly created jobs position jobseekers and employers statewide to fill opportunities for career growth and professional expansion.”
Statewide, the unemployment rate decreased in eleven areas, increased in one area, and was unchanged in two for the year ending March 2023, 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 all fourteen metropolitan areas.
The Metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Peoria MSA (+3.9%, +6,400), the Champaign-Urbana MSA (+3.4%, +4,000), and the Bloomington MSA (+3.1%, +2,900). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago Metro were up +1.6% or +60,100. Industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Education and Health Services (fourteen areas); Leisure and Hospitality (thirteen areas); Wholesale Trade and Government (twelve areas each); Manufacturing and Other Services (eleven areas each); Mining and Construction and Transportation, Utilities, and Warehousing (nine areas).
The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were the Rockford MSA (-1.1 points to 6.7%), the Carbondale-Marion MSA (-0.6 points to 4.0%), and the Springfield MSA (-0.6 point to 3.9%). The Chicago Metro Division unemployment rate fell -0.3 points to 4.1%. The unemployment rate increased in the Lake County-Kenosha County IL-WI Metropolitan Division (+0.2 point to 5.0%). The unemployment rate was unchanged in the Danville MSA (5.4%) and the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL MSA (4.1%).
Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates
Metropolitan Area | March 2023* | March 2022** | Over-the-Year Change |
Bloomington | 3.4% | 3.8% | -0.4 |
Carbondale-Marion | 4.0% | 4.6% | -0.6 |
Champaign-Urbana | 3.6% | 3.9% | -0.3 |
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights | 4.1% | 4.4% | -0.3 |
Danville | 5.4% | 5.4% | 0.0 |
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 4.1% | 4.1% | 0.0 |
Decatur | 6.1% | 6.2% | -0.1 |
Elgin | 5.3% | 5.4% | -0.1 |
Kankakee | 5.8% | 5.9% | -0.1 |
Lake-Kenosha, IL-WI | 5.0% | 4.8% | 0.2 |
Peoria | 4.7% | 5.1% | -0.4 |
Rockford | 6.7% | 7.8% | -1.1 |
Springfield | 3.9% | 4.5% | -0.6 |
St. Louis (IL-Section) | 3.6% | 4.0% | -0.4 |
Illinois Statewide | 4.3% | 4.7% | -0.4 |
* Preliminary I ** Revised |
Total Nonfarm Jobs (Not Seasonally Adjusted) – March 2023
Metropolitan Area | March | March | Over-the-Year |
2023* | 2022** | Change | |
Bloomington MSA | 97,500 | 94,600 | 2,900 |
Carbondale-Marion MSA | 58,200 | 56,900 | 1,300 |
Champaign-Urbana MSA | 122,200 | 118,200 | 4,000 |
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metro Division | 3,743,600 | 3,683,500 | 60,100 |
Danville MSA | 26,900 | 26,600 | 300 |
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island MSA | 181,900 | 180,900 | 1,000 |
Decatur MSA | 48,300 | 47,400 | 900 |
Elgin Metro Division | 260,600 | 255,600 | 5,000 |
Kankakee MSA | 43,100 | 42,500 | 600 |
Lake-County-Kenosha County Metro Division | 411,000 | 407,800 | 3,200 |
Peoria MSA | 171,900 | 165,500 | 6,400 |
Rockford MSA | Article continues after sponsor message
146,600 | 143,800 | 2,800 |
Springfield MSA | 108,900 | 106,600 | 2,300 |
Illinois Section of St. Louis MSA | 237,700 | 236,900 | 800 |
Illinois Statewide | 6,046,900 | 5,929,600 | 117,300 |
*Preliminary | ** Revised |
As far as area counties, Madison County has a 3.5 percent unemployment rate in March 2023, down from 3.9 percent in March 2022, Calhoun remained steady at 4.2 percent compared to 4.2 percent last year in March, and Jersey was 3.5 percent compared to 3.7 percent in 2022. St. Clair County was 4.0 percent in March 2023, compared to 4.5 percent in 2022. Macoupin County is at 3.5 percent compared to 4.0 percent at this time last year. Greene County is 3.9 percent compared to 4.3 percent in March 2022.
Alton has an unemployment rate of 4.6 percent in March 2023, compared to 5.2 percent a year ago. Edwardsville has a 2.8 percent unemployment rate in March 2023 compared to 2022 at the same time and Granite City is at 3.1 percent, compared to 3.4 percent.
Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates were a
(percent) for Local Counties and Areas
Labor Market Area | Mar 2023 | Mar 2022 | Over the Year Change | ||
St. Louis (IL-Section) | 3.6 % | 4.0 % | -0.4 | ||
Bond County | 3.7 % | 4.0 % | -0.3 | ||
Calhoun County | 4.2 % | 4.2 % | 0.0 | ||
Clinton County | 3.0 % | 3.2 % | -0.2 | ||
Jersey County | 3.5 % | 3.7 % | -0.2 | ||
Macoupin County | 3.5 % | 4.0 % | -0.5 | ||
Madison County | 3.5 % | 3.9 % | -0.4 | ||
Monroe County | 2.7 % | 2.9 % | -0.2 | ||
St. Clair County | 4.0 % | 4.5 % | -0.5 | ||
Cities | |||||
Alton City | 4.6 % | 5.2 % | -0.6 | ||
Belleville City | 4.2 % | 4.7 % | -0.5 | ||
Collinsville City | 3.8 % | 4.6 % | -0.8 | ||
East St. Louis City | 6.2 % | 6.6 % | -0.4 | ||
Edwardsville City | 2.8 % | 2.9 % | -0.1 | ||
Granite City | 3.1 % | 3.4 % | -0.3 | ||
O'Fallon City | 3.6 % | 3.9 % | -0.3 | ||
Counties | |||||
Greene County | 3.9 % | 4.3 % | -0.4 | ||
Randolph County | 3.4 % | 3.6 % | -0.2 | ||
Washington County | 2.3 % | 2.5 % | -0.2 | ||
Other Areas | |||||
LWIA 21 | 4.0 % | 4.5 % | -0.5 | ||
LWIA 22 | 3.5 % | 3.9 % | -0.4 | ||
LWIA 24 | 3.6 % | 4.0 % | -0.4 | ||
Southwestern EDR | 3.6 % | 4.0 % | -0.4 |
Metro East Highlights
The March 2023 unemployment rate for the Illinois Section of the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area was 3.6 percent. The unemployment rate decreased -0.4 percentage points over-the-year from the March 2022 rate of 4.0 percent. The data are not seasonally adjusted.
The labor force decreased by -3,442 in March 2023 to 332,612 from 336,054 in March 2022. The number of employed individuals decreased by -1,957 to 320,583 in March 2023 from 322,540 in March 2022. There were 12,029 unemployed people in the labor force in March 2023. The number of unemployed persons decreased by -1,485 compared to the 13,514 unemployed in March 2022.
Total nonfarm payrolls increased by +800 jobs in March 2023 to 237,700 compared to 236,900 jobs in March 2022.
Payrolls increased in Educational and Health Services (+1,100) Leisure and Hospitality (+800), Mining and Construction (+700), Government (+700), Other Services (+300), Wholesale Trade (+300), Manufacturing (+100) and Information (+100).
Nonfarm payrolls declined in Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities (-1,200), Professional and Business Services (-1,000), Retail Trade (-1,000), and Financial Activities (-100).
Note: Monthly 2022 unemployment rates and total nonfarm jobs for Illinois metro areas were revised in February and March 2023, 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 2023 data compared to January 2022 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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