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Illinois Adds 3,800 Jobs in January

Press Release - Thursday, March 01, 2012

CHICAGO – Illinois added 3,800 jobs in January and the unemployment rate fell -0.3 to 9.4 percent, according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). This is the fifth consecutive monthly decline and the largest decline since September 1992. The data is seasonally adjusted.

“January adds another month in the long-term trend of putting people back to work,” IDES Director Jay Rowell said. “Adding private sector jobs in 21 of the past 25 months and recording the largest monthly decrease in the unemployment rate in nearly 20 years is progress that people can see.”

Illinois has added +122,900 private sector jobs since January 2010 when job growth returned to Illinois after 23 consecutive months of declines. Since January 2010, leading growth sectors in Illinois are Professional and Business Services (+66,400); Educational and Health Services (+29,700); Manufacturing (+26,000); and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+17,800). Government has lost the most jobs since January 2010, down -24,700.

Historically, the national unemployment rate is lower than the state rate. Only seven times since January 2000 has the state rate been lower than the nation’s. That period includes times of economic expansion and contraction. In January 2012, the number of unemployed individuals was down for the fifth consecutive month, decreasing -18,100 (-2.8 percent) to 620,300. Total unemployed has declined  132,500 (-17.6 percent) since January 2010 when the state unemployment rate peaked at 11.4 percent. The 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.

The IDES supports economic stability by administering unemployment benefits, collecting business contributions to fund those benefits, connecting employers with qualified job seekers, and providing economic information to assist career planning and economic development. It does so through nearly 60 offices, including Illinois workNet centers.

Please note that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics requires revisions to monthly employment and labor force data. The revisions occur each February based upon updated Census data, unemployment insurance inputs and seasonal factors. Data and analysis distributed prior to March 1, 2012 should be discarded.

Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates

 

 
January
2012
December
2011
January
2011
3-Month
Moving Avg.
Illinois
9.4%
9.7%*
9.4%*
9.7%
U.S.
8.3%
8.5%
9.1%*
8.5%
* Revised

 

Illinois Seasonally Adjusted Non-farm Jobs – by Major Industry

Industry Title
January
2012*
December
2011**
January
2011**
Over the Month Change
Over the Year
Change
3-Month
Moving Avg.
Change from
Previous
3-Month
Mov. Avg.
Total Nonfarm
5,679,800
5,676,000
5,650,600
3,800
29,200
5,676,700
1,700
 Mining
9,700
9,700
9,500
0
200
9,700
0
 Construction
189,600
191,300
199,100
-1,700
-9,500
190,700
-800
 Manufacturing
579,600
576,900
569,100
2,700
10,500
577,400
1,300
 Trade, Transportation, & Utilities
1,139,000
1,142,200
1,135,300
-3,200
3,700
1,140,900
-400
 Information
99,600
99,800
100,700
-200
-1,100
99,800
-300
 Financial Activities
364,000
360,500
364,100
3,500
-100
362,000
600
 Professional and Business Services
846,200
838,500
819,800
7,700
26,400
841,000
2,500
 Educational and Health Services
851,300
857,100
844,100
-5,800
7,200
855,000
-1,800
 Leisure and Hospitality
523,400
519,800
517,500
3,600
5,900
521,000
1,600
 Other Services
246,600
247,500
249,700
-900
-3,100
246,800
200
 Government
830,800
832,700
841,700
-1,900
-10,900
832,200
-1,300
 
                              * Preliminary                    ** Revised
 

 

Notes:


• Illinois monthly labor force, unemployed and unemployment rates for years 2007-2011 have been revised as required by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In February of each year, monthly labor force data for all states are revised to reflect updated Census population controls, seasonal factors, non-farm jobs and unemployment insurance claims inputs. Data were smoothed to eliminate large monthly changes as a result of volatility in the monthly household (CPS) survey. Comments and tables distributed in prior Illinois unemployment rate news release materials should be discarded because any analysis, including records, previously cited might no longer be valid.
• Seasonally adjusted employment data for subsectors within industries are not available.  For not seasonally adjusted jobs data with greater industry detail, go to http://www.ides.illinois.gov/Custom/Library/Statistic/CES/I_NSA_CES_Illinois_MSAs_Jobs_2000_to_Current.XLS .
• “Other Services” includes a wide range of activities in three broad categories: Personal and laundry; repair and maintenance; and religious, grant making, civic and professional organizations.
• Monthly seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for Illinois and the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet Metropolitan Division are available at: http://www.ides.illinois.gov/page.aspx?item=2509 .

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