December 2024

Released January 28, 2025

Download the full PDF for Illinois

Download the summary PDF for Illinois

United States Employment Snapshot

• In December, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 7, rose in 25, and remained unchanged in 19.

• The highest unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in Nevada, and the lowest was 1.9 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 4.1 percent.

• In December, payroll jobs rose in 43 states and fell in 7. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Missouri. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.2 percent in Vermont.

Illinois Employment Snapshot

• In December, Illinois added 8,800 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 5.2 percent. In the prior month, Illinois lost 5,400 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Illinois added 56,000 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.5 percentage points from 4.7 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 256,000 in December, or 0.2 percent. Illinois is tied for 41st in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In December, Illinois’s private sector added 6,800 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 23,900 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Illinois lost 6,700 net private payroll jobs.

• In December, employment in Illinois rose by 12,987, and over the past 12 months it rose by 44,867.

• Illinois’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 65.2 percent in December and ranks 16th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has risen by 0.7 percentage points.

---

Illinois Payroll Employment

• Illinois added 8,800 net payroll jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Illinois lost 5,400 jobs. Illinois nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 8 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 256,000 in December, or 0.2 percent. Illinois is tied for 41st in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Illinois added 6,800 private sector jobs, or 0.1 percent. on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Illinois lost 6,700 jobs. Illinois private sector payroll employment has increased in 7 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 223,000 jobs in December, or 0.2 percent. Illinois is tied for 45th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• The best performing sectors on a seasonally adjusted basis during December were Financial Activities (2,900) and Education and Health Services (2,600).

• The poorest performing sectors during the month were Other Services (-1,000) and Professional and Business Services (-2,100).

• The best performing sectors during the last 12 months were Government (32,100) and Education and Health Services (26,600).

• The poorest performing sectors during the last 12 months were Manufacturing (-6,900) and Professional and Business Services (-16,200).

Illinois Labor Force

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 labor force participation rate in Illinois remained unchanged at 65.2 percent in December.

• Illinois ranks 16th in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Illinois was 65.6 percent occurring in April 2016, and the 10-year low was 61.8 percent in April 2020.

• The national labor force participation rate remained steady at 62.5 percent in December.