Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

News Release Information

15-2451-CHI
Wednesday, January 06, 2016

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

Chicago Area Employment — November 2015

Job Growth Slower than Average Over the Year

Total nonfarm employment in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, Ill.-Ind.-Wis. Metropolitan Statistical Area stood at 4,613,800 in November 2015, up 47,000 or 1.0 percent over the year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. During the same period, the national job count increased 1.9 percent. Regional Commissioner Charlene Peiffer noted that the Chicago metropolitan area has had over-the-year employment increases each month since October 2010. (See chart 1 and table 1; the Technical Note at the end of this release contains metropolitan area definitions. All data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year analysis is used throughout.)

The Chicago metropolitan area is made up of four metropolitan divisions—separately identifiable employment centers within the larger metropolitan area. The Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, Ill. Metropolitan Division, which accounted for 80 percent of the area’s workforce, added 46,900 jobs from November a year ago. The Elgin, Ill. Metropolitan Division added 5,000 jobs and the Gary, Ind. Metropolitan Division added 1,400 jobs from November 2014. Employment in the Lake County-Kenosha County, Ill.-Wis. Metropolitan Division fell by 6,300 over the year.

Industry employment

The largest over-the-year employment increase in the Chicago metropolitan area in November 2015 was in professional and business services, up 13,300 or 1.6 percent. Local area employment growth was concentrated in the Chicago division which added 16,500 jobs. In contrast, the Lake County division lost 4,800 jobs over the year. Nationwide, employment in professional and business services rose 3.2 percent from the previous November. (See chart 2.)

Locally, education and health services employment increased by 10,900, a 1.6-percent gain from November 2014 to November 2015. Employment in the Chicago division was up by 8,200 or 1.4 percent over the year. Nationwide, employment in this supersector rose 2.9 percent from November a year ago.

Trade, transportation, and utilities, the largest supersector in the Chicago area, added 7,700 jobs, a 0.8-percent gain from November a year ago. Three of the metropolitan area’s divisions (Chicago, Gary, and Elgin) each added over 1,000 jobs over the year. Nationally, employment in the trade, transportation, and utilities supersector increased 1.7 percent from November 2014. 

Construction added 7,100 jobs over the year in the Chicago area. The 4.3-percent annual job growth rate was the highest among the local area supersectors that posted annual employment gains. Nationwide, construction employment grew at a similar 4.2-percent pace.

Two other supersectors added more than 5,000 jobs over the year in the Chicago area. Other services employment increased by 5,500 or 2.9 percent and government employment rose by 5,100 or 0.9 percent. Nationwide, employment in other services increased 1.0 percent and government employment rose 0.4 percent from November 2014.

Locally, the manufacturing supersector lost 5,600 jobs over the year. Employment declines were concentrated in the Chicago division (-5,100). Nationally, manufacturing employment rose 0.3 percent.

Twelve largest metropolitan areas

Chicago was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in November 2015. All 12 areas experienced over-the-year job growth during the period, with 6 exceeding the national average of 1.9 percent. The fastest rate of job growth was in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, up 3.4 percent, followed by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, up 3.0 percent. The slowest growth rate occurred in Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land (0.8 percent). (See chart 3 and table 2.)

The New York-Newark-Jersey City area added the largest number of jobs, 167,000, since November 2014. Employment increased by over 100,000 in two other areas—Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (112,200) and Dallas (101,200). Houston experienced the smallest gain, adding 23,700 jobs over the 12-month period.

Professional and business services recorded the most job growth in 6 of the 12 metropolitan areas from November a year ago—Atlanta, Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, Chicago, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria. Leisure and hospitality added the most jobs in three other areas—Dallas, Houston, and Los Angeles.

Manufacturing recorded the largest over-the-year loss of jobs in four areas—Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington. Five other areas recorded no job losses greater than 1,000 for any supersector since last November—Boston, Miami, New York, Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, and Washington.

Metropolitan area employment data for December 2015 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.


Technical Note

This release presents nonfarm payroll employment estimates from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program. The CES survey is a Federal-State cooperative endeavor between State employment security agencies and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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 2012 version of the North American Industry Classification System.

Method of estimation. The employment data are estimated using a "link relative" technique in which a ratio (link relative) of current-month employment to that of the previous month is computed from a sample of establishments reporting for both months. The estimates of employment for the current month are obtained by multiplying the estimates for the previous month by these ratios. Small-domain models are used as the official estimators for approximately 39 percent of CES published series which have insufficient sample for direct sample-based estimates.

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.

Reliability of the estimates. The estimates presented in this release are based on sample survey and administrative data 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 are also 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 special estimation processes used. The sums of individual items may not always equal the totals shown in the same tables because of rounding.

Employment estimates. Measures of sampling error for state CES data at the supersector level are available on the BLS Web site at www.bls.gov/sae/additional-resources/reliability-of-state-and-area-estimates.htm. Information on recent benchmark revisions for states is available at www.bls.gov/sae/.

Area definitions.  The substate area data published in this release reflect the delineations issued by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget on February 28, 2013. A detailed list of the geographic definitions is available at www.bls.gov/lau/lausmsa.htm.

The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, Ill.-Ind.-Wis. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) 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, Ill. Metropolitan Division (MD) includes Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kendall, McHenry, and Will Counties in Illinois.
  • The Elgin, Ill. Metropolitan Division (MD) includes DeKalb and Kane Counties.
  • The Lake County-Kenosha County, Ill.-Wis. Metropolitan Division (MD) includes Lake County in Illinois and Kenosha County in Wisconsin.
  • The Gary, Ind. Metropolitan Division (MD) includes Jasper, Lake, Newton, and Porter Counties in Indiana.

Additional information

More complete information on the technical procedures used to develop these estimates and additional data appear in Employment and Earnings, which is available on line at www.bls.gov/opub/ee/home.htm. Industry employment data for states and metropolitan areas from the Current Employment Statistics program are also available in the above mentioned news releases and from the Internet at www.bls.gov/sae/.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request.  Voice phone: (202) 691-5200, Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, the Chicago metropolitan area and its components, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)
Area and Industry
 
Nov
2014
Sep
2015
Oct
2015
Nov
2015 (P)
Nov 2014 to
Nov 2015 (P)
Net
change
Percent
change

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

 

Total nonfarm

4,566.84,580.04,609.94,613.847.01.0

Mining and logging

1.61.51.51.5-0.1-6.3

Construction

163.5170.8172.7170.67.14.3

Manufacturing

409.9406.6405.9404.3-5.6-1.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

929.1917.8923.6936.87.70.8

Information

80.579.880.381.00.50.6

Financial activities

289.7288.0288.3289.3-0.4-0.1

Professional and business services

809.4826.1826.7822.713.31.6

Education and health services

700.0695.4708.6710.910.91.6

Leisure and hospitality

431.2446.4442.8434.23.00.7

Other services

192.0194.9196.7197.55.52.9

Government

559.9552.7562.8565.05.10.9

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division

 

Total nonfarm

3,625.93,640.33,665.73,672.846.91.3

Mining and logging

1.11.11.11.10.00.0

Construction

122.1130.2131.3129.87.76.3

Manufacturing

278.7276.1275.1273.6-5.1-1.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

732.8723.5727.8737.95.10.7

Information

71.270.771.271.80.60.8

Financial activities

249.4247.6247.7248.8-0.6-0.2

Professional and business services

674.8690.5692.6691.316.52.4

Education and health services

571.7566.5578.9579.98.21.4

Leisure and hospitality

338.9350.4347.0342.73.81.1

Other services

157.1160.0161.8162.65.53.5

Government

428.1423.7431.2433.35.21.2

Elgin, IL Metropolitan Division

 

Total nonfarm

255.0257.9260.5260.05.02.0

Mining and logging

0.20.20.20.20.00.0

Construction

12.112.512.512.30.21.7

Manufacturing

35.334.634.734.9-0.4-1.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

46.346.647.247.41.12.4

Information

3.73.63.63.6-0.1-2.7

Financial activities

10.911.011.011.00.10.9

Professional and business services

37.840.640.339.31.54.0

Education and health services

32.833.133.434.01.23.7

Leisure and hospitality

24.225.225.525.00.83.3

Other services

8.88.88.88.80.00.0

Government

42.941.743.343.50.61.4

Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division

 

Total nonfarm

406.5403.5403.3400.2-6.3-1.5

Mining and logging

0.10.10.10.10.00.0

Construction

12.912.612.812.5-0.4-3.1

Manufacturing

59.059.059.159.20.20.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

89.987.087.789.3-0.6-0.7

Information

3.63.53.53.60.00.0

Financial activities

20.720.821.020.90.21.0

Professional and business services

73.471.670.268.6-4.8-6.5

Education and health services

47.047.647.247.90.91.9

Leisure and hospitality

35.438.437.934.2-1.2-3.4

Other services

12.612.612.612.60.00.0

Government

51.950.351.251.3-0.6-1.2

Gary, IN Metropolitan Division

 

Total nonfarm

279.4278.3280.4280.81.40.5

Mining and logging

0.20.10.10.1-0.1-50.0

Construction

16.415.516.116.0-0.4-2.4

Manufacturing

36.936.937.036.6-0.3-0.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

60.160.760.962.22.13.5

Information

2.02.02.02.00.00.0

Financial activities

8.78.68.68.6-0.1-1.1

Professional and business services

23.423.423.623.50.10.4

Education and health services

48.548.249.149.10.61.2

Leisure and hospitality

32.732.432.432.3-0.4-1.2

Other services

13.513.513.513.50.00.0

Government

37.037.037.136.9-0.1-0.3

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)
AreaNov
2014
Sep
2015
Oct
2015
Nov
2015 (P)
Nov 2014 to
Nov 2015 (P)
Net
change
Percent
change

United States (1)

 

Total nonfarm

141,478142,604143,784144,1282,6501.9

Mining and logging

916816808792-124-13.5

Construction

6,3396,6276,6626,6062674.2

Manufacturing

12,29012,37012,34712,332420.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

27,10626,88327,11927,5544481.7

Information

2,7782,7962,8062,809311.1

Financial activities

8,0418,1638,1768,1831421.8

Professional and business services

19,50719,91920,13120,1276203.2

Education and health services

21,91222,10222,46822,5536412.9

Leisure and hospitality

14,61615,42215,26415,0614453.0

Other services

5,5925,6315,6555,646541.0

Government

22,38121,87522,34822,465840.4

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

 

Total nonfarm

2,559.52,595.62,627.62,646.086.53.4

Mining and logging

1.31.31.41.40.17.7

Construction

104.6109.5109.2109.14.54.3

Manufacturing

153.6156.9158.7159.45.83.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

576.8571.5582.1594.818.03.1

Information

87.687.688.087.2-0.4-0.5

Financial activities

162.6164.8166.7167.14.52.8

Professional and business services

472.2490.4496.8497.325.15.3

Education and health services

313.6318.6321.6322.89.22.9

Leisure and hospitality

263.0270.7274.6276.113.15.0

Other services

96.793.294.394.2-2.5-2.6

Government

327.5331.1334.2336.69.12.8

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

 

Total nonfarm

2,628.12,647.92,671.32,676.047.91.8

Mining, logging, and construction

99.0103.6105.4105.76.76.8

Manufacturing

191.7190.1190.3190.9-0.8-0.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

421.1412.5417.0422.41.30.3

Information

75.877.677.277.01.21.6

Financial activities

173.3176.8177.6178.24.92.8

Professional and business services

449.2459.5463.4462.513.33.0

Education and health services

550.4550.4560.3562.412.02.2

Leisure and hospitality

246.6259.9257.1250.03.41.4

Other services

101.2102.1102.7102.81.61.6

Government

319.8315.4320.3324.14.31.3

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

 

Total nonfarm

4,566.84,580.04,609.94,613.847.01.0

Mining and logging

1.61.51.51.5-0.1-6.3

Construction

163.5170.8172.7170.67.14.3

Manufacturing

409.9406.6405.9404.3-5.6-1.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

929.1917.8923.6936.87.70.8

Information

80.579.880.381.00.50.6

Financial activities

289.7288.0288.3289.3-0.4-0.1

Professional and business services

809.4826.1826.7822.713.31.6

Education and health services

700.0695.4708.6710.910.91.6

Leisure and hospitality

431.2446.4442.8434.23.00.7

Other services

192.0194.9196.7197.55.52.9

Government

559.9552.7562.8565.05.10.9

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

 

Total nonfarm

3,341.93,397.33,427.73,443.1101.23.0

Mining, logging, and construction

196.7193.1193.0193.9-2.8-1.4

Manufacturing

263.3258.3257.9257.9-5.4-2.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

704.8712.7720.5729.124.33.4

Information

81.881.781.382.50.70.9

Financial activities

271.7275.4277.0277.86.12.2

Professional and business services

552.9568.6575.8576.223.34.2

Education and health services

411.2425.9430.6431.820.65.0

Leisure and hospitality

333.3355.8357.9358.024.77.4

Other services

116.0120.8119.9119.13.12.7

Government

410.2405.0413.8416.86.61.6

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

 

Total nonfarm

2,982.72,979.83,001.63,006.423.70.8

Mining and logging

113.4111.2108.4107.9-5.5-4.9

Construction

209.1205.3214.5213.14.01.9

Manufacturing

257.4244.4242.5242.0-15.4-6.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

612.4605.1605.8614.11.70.3

Information

32.734.634.133.81.13.4

Financial activities

148.8143.8144.8144.9-3.9-2.6

Professional and business services

471.3473.5473.1469.5-1.8-0.4

Education and health services

359.8371.2374.9374.915.14.2

Leisure and hospitality

289.0303.8306.8308.519.56.7

Other services

104.9103.8104.8103.6-1.3-1.2

Government

383.9383.1391.9394.110.22.7

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

 

Total nonfarm

5,844.85,873.45,923.25,957.0112.21.9

Mining and logging

5.45.25.24.9-0.5-9.3

Construction

209.7219.9222.3224.114.46.9

Manufacturing

525.7526.0522.9522.3-3.4-0.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,093.11,081.71,085.91,107.013.91.3

Information

225.3220.5221.0217.8-7.5-3.3

Financial activities

326.5324.6324.3325.1-1.4-0.4

Professional and business services

900.1906.6917.5919.119.02.1

Education and health services

963.8979.2988.5991.327.52.9

Leisure and hospitality

666.3688.8693.7694.227.94.2

Other services

202.8207.5207.7208.86.03.0

Government

726.1713.4734.2742.416.32.2

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

 

Total nonfarm

2,488.02,483.22,509.82,545.957.92.3

Mining and logging

0.60.60.60.60.00.0

Construction

107.6108.6109.4111.84.23.9

Manufacturing

82.180.880.781.3-0.8-1.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

581.1572.4578.4592.311.21.9

Information

48.547.948.348.60.10.2

Financial activities

173.7173.6176.1176.42.71.6

Professional and business services

401.4409.6415.4423.121.75.4

Education and health services

365.0366.9370.4370.25.21.4

Leisure and hospitality

302.4302.9305.2313.110.73.5

Other services

119.3119.4121.1122.53.22.7

Government

306.3300.5304.2306.0-0.3-0.1

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

 

Total nonfarm

9,293.09,289.59,402.79,460.0167.01.8

Mining, logging, and construction

358.3376.1378.1384.526.27.3

Manufacturing

368.4366.4369.1369.81.40.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,745.71,712.61,726.01,757.311.60.7

Information

284.9280.8284.3284.4-0.5-0.2

Financial activities

752.7761.4763.8763.911.21.5

Professional and business services

1,456.61,454.21,469.71,474.918.31.3

Education and health services

1,767.81,768.51,810.81,829.061.23.5

Leisure and hospitality

838.7887.4874.2861.923.22.8

Other services

408.7417.6418.4419.210.52.6

Government

1,311.21,264.51,308.31,315.13.90.3

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

 

Total nonfarm

2,829.12,817.82,847.82,863.634.51.2

Mining, logging, and construction

108.6117.8118.5117.38.78.0

Manufacturing

179.7177.6177.2177.9-1.8-1.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

523.8520.0525.0534.010.21.9

Information

46.245.245.345.5-0.7-1.5

Financial activities

204.6207.2207.6207.42.81.4

Professional and business services

457.3447.8452.1457.1-0.20.0

Education and health services

603.8596.3607.8611.88.01.3

Leisure and hospitality

243.2255.8253.9249.56.32.6

Other services

119.3119.5120.1120.41.10.9

Government

342.6330.6340.3342.70.10.0

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

 

Total nonfarm

1,906.41,906.21,934.31,956.049.62.6

Mining and logging

3.43.43.33.3-0.1-2.9

Construction

96.9102.6102.9104.87.98.2

Manufacturing

117.7117.0117.4118.00.30.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

378.2369.6376.3387.08.82.3

Information

34.934.935.336.21.33.7

Financial activities

165.2168.0169.5169.24.02.4

Professional and business services

319.4318.7325.2326.77.32.3

Education and health services

276.4279.0283.9285.99.53.4

Leisure and hospitality

203.2203.9207.7209.96.73.3

Other services

66.467.368.469.02.63.9

Government

244.7241.8244.4246.01.30.5

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

 

Total nonfarm

2,237.02,271.22,293.02,301.864.82.9

Mining and logging

0.90.80.80.8-0.1-11.1

Construction

104.7108.5110.3109.64.94.7

Manufacturing

122.9124.3124.2124.01.10.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities

367.2364.0369.6379.612.43.4

Information

79.682.682.782.83.24.0

Financial activities

128.0127.6127.6126.9-1.1-0.9

Professional and business services

458.8479.9482.7483.925.15.5

Education and health services

329.2331.6335.6336.16.92.1

Leisure and hospitality

254.6262.9263.0260.15.52.2

Other services

83.886.187.986.83.03.6

Government

307.3302.9308.6311.23.91.3

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

 

Total nonfarm

3,158.73,176.93,209.93,220.661.92.0

Mining, logging, and construction

151.2155.4156.3157.46.24.1

Manufacturing

50.049.149.550.00.00.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

409.1400.4405.5411.52.40.6

Information

76.176.275.676.20.10.1

Financial activities

151.4150.8153.0151.50.10.1

Professional and business services

710.4723.8735.2735.324.93.5

Education and health services

416.3420.9425.7427.811.52.8

Leisure and hospitality

300.3306.0307.3304.54.21.4

Other services

194.6197.4196.6197.42.81.4

Government

699.3696.9705.2709.09.71.4

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

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, January 06, 2016