January 25, 2022
Summary
Illinois added 22,800 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage point to 5.3 percent in December, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released at 10:00am on January 25, 2022.
Over the past twelve months, Illinois added 262,600 payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 2.7 percentage points from 8 percent.
In December, Illinois’s private sector added 22,900 net private payroll jobs and over the past twelve months it added 245,400 private payroll jobs in the establishment survey.
In the household survey, the number of unemployed fell by 21,108 on net in December, and over the past year employment rose by 278,686.
Illinois’s labor force participation rate rose to 63.4 percent in December from 63.1 percent. Since last year, the labor force participation rate rose by 1.5 percentage points.
The national unemployment rate fell by 0.3 percentage point in December to 3.9 percent. State employment and unemployment data for January is scheduled for release March 14, 2022. The national employment situation report for January will be released February 04, 2022.
Illinois Payroll Employment
Illinois added 22,800 net payroll jobs, or 0.4 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Illinois added 19,900 jobs. Over the past twelve months, Illinois added 262,600 payroll jobs, or 4.7 percent. Illinois nonfarm payroll employment had increased in each of the past 12 months.
Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 199,000 in December, or rose by 0.1 percent. Over the 12-month period ending with December, nonfarm payrolls rose by 6,448,000 jobs, or 4.5 percent. Illinois ranks 16th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.
During December, Illinois’s private-sector added 22,900 jobs, or approximately 0.4 percent. The private-sector in Illinois added 20,400 jobs in the prior month. Over the past twelve months, private-sector payrolls in Illinois added 245,400, or 5 percent. Illinois private-sector payroll employment has increased in 11 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, private-sector payroll jobs rose by 211,000 jobs in December, or 0.2 percent. Over the past 12 months, the national payroll rose by 5,996,000 jobs in the private sector, or 5 percent. Illinois ranks 19th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for a percentage gain in private-sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.
The best performing sectors on a seasonally adjusted basis during December were Professional and Business Services (9,400) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (8,500). The poorest performing sectors during the month were Education and Health Services (-300) and Financial Activities (-1,800).
The best performing sectors during the last twelve months were Leisure and Hospitality (126,000) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (48,300). The poorest performing sectors during the last twelve months were Mining and Logging (0) and Financial Activities (-5,000).
Illinois Labor Force Statistics
Labor Force Participation
The labor force participation rate in Illinois rose to 63.4 percent in December from 63.1 percent in the prior month. At a labor force participation rate of 63.4 percent, Illinois ranks 19th in the nation. The labor force participation rate in Illinois rose by 1.5 percentage points from a year earlier. The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.
The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Illinois was 66.1 percent in December 2011. The series high for the labor force participation rate in Illinois occurred in February 2000 when the labor force participation rate hit 70 percent. The 10-year low for the labor force participation rate was 60.4 percent in April 2020. This also represents the series low for the labor force participation rate in Illinois.
The national labor force participation rate remained steady at 61.9 percent in December. That rate rose by 0.4 percentage point from a year earlier. The all-time high for the national labor force participation rate was 67.3 percent in April 2000. The 10-year high for the national labor force participation rate was 63.8 percent in October 2012. The recent 10-year low occurred in April 2020 at a level of 60.2 percent. The series low for the national labor force participation rate was 58.1 percent in December 1954.
Employment-to-Population Ratio
The employment-to-population ratio, or the percentage of the Illinois civilian noninstitutionalized population 16 years and older counted as employed, in December rose to 60 from 59.5 percent in the prior month. At 60 percent, Illinois ranks 23rd among state employment-to-population ratios in the nation. The employment-to-population ratio in Illinois rose by 3.1 percentage points from a year earlier.
The 10-year high for the employment-to-population ratio in Illinois was 62 percent last occurring in August 2019. The series high for the employment-to-population ratio in Illinois last occurred in February 2000 when the employment-to-population ratio hit 66.9 percent. The 10-year low for the employment-to-population ratio was 50.4 percent in April 2020. This also represents the series low for the employment-to-population ratio in Illinois.
The national employment-to-population ratio rose by 0.2 percentage point over the month to 59.5 percent in December. That rate rose by 2.1 percentage points from a year earlier. The all-time high for the national employment-to-population rato was 64.7 percent in April 2000. The 10-year high for the national employment-to-population ratio was 61.2 percent in February 2020. The recent 10-year low occurred in April 2020 at a level of 51.3 percent. The series low for the employment-to-population ratio was 51.3 percent in April 2020.