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News Release Information

24-601-CHI
Wednesday, April 03, 2024

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

Chicago Area Employment — February 2024

Total nonfarm employment for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, metropolitan area stood at 4,704,800 in February 2024 compared to 4,694,100 a year ago, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See chart 1 and table 1.) Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that the employment change over the year was not statistically significant. Nationally, employment rose 1.8 percent over the year. (All data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year analysis is used throughout.)


Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, is made up of four metropolitan divisions—separately identifiable employment centers within the greater metropolitan area. Employment in Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL, was 3,752,600, accounting for 80 percent of the metropolitan area's total nonfarm employment in February 2024. Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI, employed 411,900, accounting for 9 percent of the area’s employment, while Elgin, IL, and Gary, IN, each accounted for 6 percent of the area’s employment. Employment levels for these four divisions changed little over the year.

Industry employment

In Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, education and health services had the largest gain (+24,600) among the metropolitan area’s private-industry supersectors. (See chart 2.) The Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL, division added 19,900 jobs in this supersector. The 3.3-percent gain in the metropolitan area’s education and health services supersector compared to the 4.2-percent rise on a national level.


Professional and business services lost 35,100 jobs in the metropolitan area over the year. The Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL, division lost 32,200 jobs, or 92 percent of the metropolitan area’s employment loss in this supersector. The metropolitan area had a 4.2-percent loss compared to the 0.7-percent gain for the nation.

Twelve largest metropolitan areas

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in February 2024. Six of twelve areas gained total nonfarm payroll employment over the year. The largest job gain occurred in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA (+92,300). Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, had the smallest employment increase (+33,200) among the areas with significant changes. (See table 2 and chart 3.)

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX, had a 2.4-percent rate of job gain. The rates of job gain in the remaining five areas with significant changes ranged from 2.2 percent in Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ, to 0.9 percent in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA.

The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment release for March 2024 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Changes to Current Employment Statistics (CES) Data

Effective with the release of January 2024 estimates on March 11, 2024, nonfarm payroll employment estimates for states and areas have been adjusted to 2023 benchmark levels. Not seasonally adjusted data beginning with April 2022 and seasonally adjusted data beginning with January 2019 are subject to revision. Some data series have been revised as far back as 1990. See the CES State and Area benchmark article for further information.

Also effective with the release of January 2024 estimates, the CES program implemented a new weight smoothing procedure for state and metropolitan area employment data. Background information on weight smoothing in the Current Employment Statistics Survey is available on the BLS website.


Technical Note

This release presents nonfarm payroll employment estimates from the CES program. The CES survey is a Federal-State cooperative endeavor between State employment security agencies and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. More information about the CES data is available in the State Employment and Unemployment Summary and the Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment Summary.

Definitions. Employment data refer to persons on establishment payrolls who receive pay for any part of the pay period which includes the 12th of the month. Persons are counted at their place of work rather than at their place of residence; those appearing on more than one payroll are counted on each payroll. Industries are classified on the basis of their principal activity in accordance with the 2022 version of the North American Industry Classification System.

Method of estimation. CES State and Area employment data are produced using several estimation procedures. Where possible these data are produced using a "weighted link relative" estimation technique in which a ratio of current-month weighted employment to that of the previous-month weighted employment is computed from a sample of establishments reporting for both months. The estimates of employment for the current month are then obtained by multiplying these ratios by the previous month's employment estimates. The weighted link relative technique is utilized for data series where the sample size meets certain statistical criteria. For some employment series, the estimates are produced with a model that uses direct sample estimates (described above) combined with other regressors to compensate for smaller sample sizes.

Annual revisions. Employment estimates are adjusted annually to a complete count of jobs, called benchmarks, derived principally from tax reports which are submitted by employers who are covered under state unemployment insurance (UI) laws. The benchmark information is used to adjust the monthly estimates between the new benchmark and the preceding one and also to establish the level of employment for the new benchmark month. Thus, the benchmarking process establishes the level of employment, and the sample is used to measure the month-to-month changes in the level for the subsequent months. Information on recent benchmark revisions is available in the CES State and Area benchmark article.

Reliability of the estimates. The estimates presented in this release are based on sample surveys, administrative data, and modeling and, thus, are subject to sampling and other types of errors. Sampling error is a measure of sampling variability—that is, variation that occurs by chance because a sample rather than the entire population is surveyed. Survey data also are subject to nonsampling errors, such as those which can be introduced into the data collection and processing operations. Estimates not directly derived from sample surveys are subject to additional errors resulting from the specific estimation processes used. The sums of individual items may not always equal totals shown in the same tables due to rounding.

Employment estimates. Changes in metropolitan area nonfarm payroll employment are cited in the analysis of this release only if they have been determined to be statistically significant at the 90-percent confidence level. Reliability of state and area estimates for the total nonfarm employment series are available for metropolitan areas and metropolitan divisions.

Area definitions. The substate area data published in this news release reflect the delineations issued by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget on April 10, 2018. The 12 metropolitan areas discussed in this release are the metropolitan areas with the largest population according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties in Illinois; Jasper, Lake, Newton, and Porter Counties in Indiana; and Kenosha County in Wisconsin.

  • The Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division includes Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kendall, McHenry, and Will Counties in Illinois.

  • The Elgin, IL Metropolitan Division includes DeKalb and Kane Counties.

  • The Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division includes Lake County in Illinois and Kenosha County in Wisconsin.

  • The Gary, IN Metropolitan Division includes Jasper, Lake, Newton, and Porter Counties in Indiana.

Additional information

State and area employment data from the CES program are available on the BLS website.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, the Chicago metropolitan area and its components, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)
Area and IndustryFeb
2023
Dec
2023
Jan
2024
Feb
2024(p)
Feb 2023 to
Feb 2024(p)
Net
change
Percent
change

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area

Total nonfarm

4,694.14,811.74,675.24,704.810.70.2

Mining and logging

1.31.51.51.50.215.4

Construction

163.0179.4162.0163.80.80.5

Manufacturing

412.9420.6416.5419.16.21.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities

962.2995.9962.9952.8-9.4-1.0

Information

80.576.976.877.3-3.2-4.0

Financial activities

316.8319.5316.2315.8-1.0-0.3

Professional and business services

838.5837.9797.8803.4-35.1-4.2

Education and health services

753.0773.3761.1777.624.63.3

Leisure and hospitality

440.3463.4446.1448.48.11.8

Other services

192.5196.9196.6199.16.63.4

Government

533.1546.4537.7546.012.92.4

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

3,751.23,837.53,729.33,752.61.40.0

Mining and logging

1.01.21.21.20.220.0

Construction

121.2133.4119.9121.20.00.0

Manufacturing

278.2285.3283.0284.76.52.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

757.4781.4755.5746.8-10.6-1.4

Information

73.070.069.970.5-2.5-3.4

Financial activities

276.6279.5276.7276.70.10.0

Professional and business services

704.5700.8666.2672.3-32.2-4.6

Education and health services

624.6640.5629.7644.519.93.2

Leisure and hospitality

347.9366.3352.2353.55.61.6

Other services

155.8159.2159.3161.15.33.4

Government

411.0419.9415.7420.19.12.2

Elgin, IL Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

256.5265.9258.4261.85.32.1

Mining and logging

0.10.10.10.10.00.0

Construction

12.213.912.312.60.43.3

Manufacturing

36.337.036.636.70.41.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

49.852.150.850.60.81.6

Information

2.32.22.22.2-0.1-4.3

Financial activities

9.69.99.89.80.22.1

Professional and business services

38.337.937.337.2-1.1-2.9

Education and health services

32.033.833.333.71.75.3

Leisure and hospitality

24.224.924.124.50.31.2

Other services

9.910.110.110.20.33.0

Government

41.844.041.844.22.45.7

Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

409.4424.6411.1411.92.50.6

Mining and logging

0.10.10.10.10.00.0

Construction

13.515.113.613.90.43.0

Manufacturing

64.164.063.263.6-0.5-0.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

95.899.896.395.7-0.1-0.1

Information

3.42.92.92.8-0.6-17.6

Financial activities

21.420.820.520.1-1.3-6.1

Professional and business services

67.370.365.965.5-1.8-2.7

Education and health services

47.549.048.849.21.73.6

Leisure and hospitality

35.640.038.338.52.98.1

Other services

13.013.413.313.50.53.8

Government

47.749.248.249.01.32.7

Gary, IN Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

277.0283.7276.4278.51.50.5

Mining and logging

0.10.10.10.10.00.0

Construction

16.117.016.216.10.00.0

Manufacturing

34.334.333.734.1-0.2-0.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities

59.262.660.359.70.50.8

Information

1.81.81.81.80.00.0

Financial activities

9.29.39.29.20.00.0

Professional and business services

28.428.928.428.40.00.0

Education and health services

48.950.049.350.21.32.7

Leisure and hospitality

32.632.231.531.9-0.7-2.1

Other services

13.814.213.914.30.53.6

Government

32.633.332.032.70.10.3

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

Table 2. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, United States and 12 largest metropolitan areas, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)
AreaFeb
2023
Dec
2023
Jan
2024
Feb
2024(p)
Feb 2023 to
Feb 2024(p)
Net
change
Percent
change

United States(1)

Total nonfarm

153,817158,269155,414156,5552,7381.8

Mining and logging

62464262863171.1

Construction

7,6428,0517,8027,8552132.8

Manufacturing

12,89312,99112,88212,913200.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

28,60229,64828,76928,663610.2

Information

3,0283,0282,9732,996-32-1.1

Financial activities

9,0979,2659,1789,180830.9

Professional and business services

22,53322,96522,54822,6831500.7

Education and health services

25,06925,98025,75426,1291,0604.2

Leisure and hospitality

15,80116,48516,07816,2434422.8

Other services

5,7245,8465,7945,819951.7

Government

22,80423,36823,00823,4436392.8

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

Total nonfarm

3,035.33,095.53,047.73,061.326.00.9

Mining and logging

1.92.12.12.10.210.5

Construction

140.3146.6142.8144.13.82.7

Manufacturing

179.1184.2181.4182.02.91.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities

663.5677.9656.0652.3-11.2-1.7

Information

118.798.297.298.1-20.6-17.4

Financial activities

202.6208.0207.6207.85.22.6

Professional and business services

588.5587.8581.0584.8-3.7-0.6

Education and health services

398.4418.4414.4416.818.44.6

Leisure and hospitality

296.1312.4308.3310.914.85.0

Other services

101.7103.5102.8104.12.42.4

Government

344.5356.4354.1358.313.84.0

Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH (NECTA)

Total nonfarm

2,772.82,814.72,761.82,780.88.00.3

Mining, logging, and construction

122.5128.1122.2120.3-2.2-1.8

Manufacturing

183.9183.7182.6182.1-1.8-1.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

404.0416.6401.9399.1-4.9-1.2

Information

83.179.478.478.3-4.8-5.8

Financial activities

184.5185.1182.8182.9-1.6-0.9

Professional and business services

526.9529.1521.4523.6-3.3-0.6

Education and health services

606.4615.0609.7624.818.43.0

Leisure and hospitality

246.2252.7245.7246.80.60.2

Other services

100.1103.5102.5102.12.02.0

Government

315.2321.5314.6320.85.61.8

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

Total nonfarm

4,694.14,811.74,675.24,704.810.70.2

Mining and logging

1.31.51.51.50.215.4

Construction

163.0179.4162.0163.80.80.5

Manufacturing

412.9420.6416.5419.16.21.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities

962.2995.9962.9952.8-9.4-1.0

Information

80.576.976.877.3-3.2-4.0

Financial activities

316.8319.5316.2315.8-1.0-0.3

Professional and business services

838.5837.9797.8803.4-35.1-4.2

Education and health services

753.0773.3761.1777.624.63.3

Leisure and hospitality

440.3463.4446.1448.48.11.8

Other services

192.5196.9196.6199.16.63.4

Government

533.1546.4537.7546.012.92.4

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

Total nonfarm

4,171.64,303.74,227.04,246.775.11.8

Mining, logging, and construction

238.7251.6246.8248.810.14.2

Manufacturing

304.2311.2308.4310.56.32.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

889.6931.6903.0896.16.50.7

Information

92.790.890.490.1-2.6-2.8

Financial activities

363.3369.1368.2369.66.31.7

Professional and business services

778.6784.6766.3778.0-0.6-0.1

Education and health services

494.3511.5508.0511.617.33.5

Leisure and hospitality

408.4427.0416.6417.69.22.3

Other services

131.7139.2140.5140.28.56.5

Government

470.1487.1478.8484.214.13.0

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

Total nonfarm

3,339.03,442.13,394.23,418.879.82.4

Mining and logging

71.472.271.270.9-0.5-0.7

Construction

232.9234.5229.5234.01.10.5

Manufacturing

230.1236.7236.3237.67.53.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

680.1711.1690.6688.18.01.2

Information

33.333.132.732.5-0.8-2.4

Financial activities

186.7186.7186.0186.90.20.1

Professional and business services

551.2563.7554.6560.08.81.6

Education and health services

441.1462.3460.2464.523.45.3

Leisure and hospitality

346.4354.1349.0352.96.51.9

Other services

124.1128.1129.8130.16.04.8

Government

441.7459.6454.3461.319.64.4

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

Total nonfarm

6,204.86,318.06,200.26,238.333.50.5

Mining and logging

2.01.91.91.9-0.1-5.0

Construction

252.6258.9252.3253.00.40.2

Manufacturing

477.5475.8471.5471.6-5.9-1.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,083.21,123.01,090.41,082.7-0.50.0

Information

243.5206.2199.4206.0-37.5-15.4

Financial activities

316.4316.2312.7312.9-3.5-1.1

Professional and business services

977.9974.7956.1961.7-16.2-1.7

Education and health services

1,160.01,217.11,203.61,220.460.45.2

Leisure and hospitality

743.7770.8749.4757.313.61.8

Other services

207.9216.6212.5215.77.83.8

Government

740.1756.8750.4755.115.02.0

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

Total nonfarm

2,886.12,979.22,942.72,947.461.32.1

Construction

149.1158.1155.8155.76.64.4

Manufacturing

96.4100.799.098.82.42.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities

644.5678.1659.0655.511.01.7

Information

57.255.554.755.5-1.7-3.0

Financial activities

214.0220.6217.9216.32.31.1

Professional and business services

519.6525.4513.6514.5-5.1-1.0

Education and health services

442.8460.3458.1460.517.74.0

Leisure and hospitality

339.2344.4349.8353.214.04.1

Other services

112.7117.2115.6116.53.83.4

Government

309.8318.0318.3320.010.23.3

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

Total nonfarm

9,911.310,219.59,967.610,003.692.30.9

Mining, logging, and construction

389.9398.1379.9377.5-12.4-3.2

Manufacturing

348.1349.4343.1346.5-1.6-0.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,659.51,729.21,668.61,651.1-8.4-0.5

Information

327.6309.0306.7309.1-18.5-5.6

Financial activities

813.9832.7821.3821.87.91.0

Professional and business services

1,634.01,669.01,610.01,609.8-24.2-1.5

Education and health services

2,188.22,285.62,258.62,292.5104.34.8

Leisure and hospitality

856.4914.6872.8877.921.52.5

Other services

399.4411.7406.3404.55.11.3

Government

1,294.31,320.21,300.31,312.918.61.4

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

Total nonfarm

3,030.53,117.73,047.03,063.733.21.1

Mining, logging, and construction

120.1122.8117.4117.8-2.3-1.9

Manufacturing

180.5183.4181.8181.91.40.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

543.7563.5541.2534.2-9.5-1.7

Information

54.752.952.352.6-2.1-3.8

Financial activities

228.6229.6229.3229.71.10.5

Professional and business services

492.2496.0487.2488.6-3.6-0.7

Education and health services

697.0727.0713.8728.831.84.6

Leisure and hospitality

254.8269.3259.1259.74.91.9

Other services

120.7124.0123.3122.31.61.3

Government

338.2349.2341.6348.19.92.9

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

Total nonfarm

2,392.72,469.92,433.12,445.452.72.2

Mining and logging

3.23.73.73.80.618.8

Construction

163.2174.2170.5170.57.34.5

Manufacturing

149.8149.8148.1148.1-1.7-1.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

464.8490.3476.2475.510.72.3

Information

43.942.141.240.7-3.2-7.3

Financial activities

212.5215.5210.6211.3-1.2-0.6

Professional and business services

393.5397.3391.5394.91.40.4

Education and health services

381.5410.7406.7408.727.27.1

Leisure and hospitality

253.0251.7249.1250.8-2.2-0.9

Other services

76.078.177.078.02.02.6

Government

251.3256.5258.5263.111.84.7

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

Total nonfarm

2,456.62,490.72,446.02,450.8-5.8-0.2

Mining and logging

0.40.40.40.40.00.0

Construction

121.6123.8117.8118.4-3.2-2.6

Manufacturing

152.8150.8148.2148.6-4.2-2.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities

348.6359.7350.1346.4-2.2-0.6

Information

151.8138.4136.6135.7-16.1-10.6

Financial activities

139.0137.7135.0134.6-4.4-3.2

Professional and business services

511.7506.3496.4498.4-13.3-2.6

Education and health services

387.9409.9404.6408.220.35.2

Leisure and hospitality

241.3253.8247.5249.58.23.4

Other services

84.186.485.386.01.92.3

Government

317.4323.5324.1324.67.22.3

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Total nonfarm

3,327.83,392.63,338.43,347.419.60.6

Mining, logging, and construction

161.5164.5160.2158.7-2.8-1.7

Manufacturing

56.657.957.157.30.71.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

398.2422.2405.7401.33.10.8

Information

82.179.978.378.9-3.2-3.9

Financial activities

154.4153.5150.4149.8-4.6-3.0

Professional and business services

812.5808.8802.9803.7-8.8-1.1

Education and health services

451.8464.0461.2464.612.82.8

Leisure and hospitality

303.8316.5304.4305.92.10.7

Other services

191.2195.3193.3193.01.80.9

Government

715.7730.0724.9734.218.52.6

Footnotes
(1) U.S. data are preliminary for two months after they are first published.
(p) Preliminary

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, April 03, 2024