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News Release Information

19-382-CHI
Wednesday, April 03, 2019

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

Chicago Area Employment — February 2019

Local Rate of Employment Growth Below National Average

Total nonfarm employment for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area stood at 4,699,600 in February 2019, up 63,000, or 1.4 percent, over the year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. During the same period, the national job count increased by 1.7 percent. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations 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 Metropolitan Division, which accounted for 80 percent of the area’s workforce, added 51,600 jobs from February a year ago. In the Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division, employment increased by 5,600 jobs over the year. Employment in the Elgin, IL, and Gary, IN, Metropolitan Divisions increased by 3,400 and 2,400, respectively.

Industry employment

In the greater Chicago metropolitan area, education and health services had the largest employment gain from February 2018 to February 2019, adding 18,700 jobs. Local employment growth in the education and health services supersector was concentrated in the Chicago division, which added 17,900 jobs. The Chicago area’s 2.6-percent rate of job growth in education and health services was higher than the nationwide advance of 2.1 percent. (See chart 2.)

Trade, transportation, and utilities employment added 11,500 jobs from February a year ago, the second-largest employment gain in the Chicago area. Local employment growth in the supersector was concentrated in the Chicago division, which added 11,500 jobs. The Chicago area’s 1.2-percent rate of job growth compared to the 1.0-percent national gain.

Three other local supersectors each gained at least 6,100 jobs: professional and business services (+8,200), manufacturing (+8,100), and leisure and hospitality (+6,100). The Chicago area’s professional and business services industry job growth rate of 1.0 percent was lower than the 2.6-percent national increase. Employment in Chicago’s manufacturing industry grew by 1.9 percent, matching the national increase. The leisure and hospitality supersector’s local job growth rate of 1.3 percent was lower than the 2.6-percent national increase.

One Chicago area supersector lost more than 1,000 jobs since last February: information (-2,300, down 3.0 percent). Nationally, employment in the information sector decreased by 0.1 percent.

Employment in the 12 largest metropolitan areas

Chicago was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in February 2019. All 12 areas had over-the-year job growth during the period, with the rates of job growth in 6 areas exceeding the national average of 1.7 percent. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale had the fastest rate of job growth, up 3.1 percent, followed by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington at 2.8 percent. Boston-Cambridge-Nashua had the slowest rate of job growth, 0.4 percent, followed by Washington-Arlington-Alexandria at 0.6 percent. (See chart 3 and table 2.)

New York-Newark-Jersey City added the largest number of jobs over the year, 107,800, followed by Dallas with 102,500 jobs. Boston had the smallest employment gain over the year, adding 10,200 jobs, followed by Washington with 20,700 jobs. Annual gains in the remaining eight metropolitan areas ranged from 72,600 in Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land to 31,100 in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington.

Over the year, education and health services added the most jobs in five areas: Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and Phoenix. Professional and business services added the most jobs in five other areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Dallas, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, and San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward. Information lost the most jobs in six areas: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and Miami. Phoenix was the only area to experience annual gains in all reporting supersectors from February a year ago.

Metropolitan area employment data for March 2019 are scheduled to be released on Friday, April 19, 2019.


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 that 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 2017 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.

Annual revisions. Employment estimates are adjusted annually to a complete count of jobs, called benchmarks, derived principally from tax reports that 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 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 the totals shown in the same tables because of rounding.

Employment estimates. Measures of sampling error for the total nonfarm employment series are available for metropolitan areas and metropolitan divisions at www.bls.gov/web/laus/790stderr.htm. Measures of sampling error for more detailed series at the area and division level are available upon request. Measures of sampling error for states down to the supersector level are available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/web/laus/790stderr.htm. Measures of nonsampling error are not available for the areas contained in this news release. Information on recent benchmark revisions is available online at www.bls.gov/web/laus/benchmark.pdf.

Area definitions. The substate area data published in this release reflect the delineations issued by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget on April 10, 2018. A detailed list of the geographic definitions is available at www.bls.gov/lau/lausmsa.htm.

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

More complete information on the technical procedures used to develop these estimates and additional data appear in Employment and Earnings, which is available online 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 IndustryFeb
2018
Dec
2018
Jan
2019
Feb
2019(p)
Feb 2018 to
Feb 2019(p)
Net
change
Percent
change

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

Total nonfarm

4,636.64,803.24,693.24,699.663.01.4

Mining and logging

1.41.51.41.40.00.0

Construction

157.1172.9161.4162.04.93.1

Manufacturing

417.0424.5423.7425.18.11.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities

934.6987.2956.6946.111.51.2

Information

76.976.275.074.6-2.3-3.0

Financial activities

306.1313.8311.7311.35.21.7

Professional and business services

815.6849.4819.9823.88.21.0

Education and health services

731.6744.5738.0750.318.72.6

Leisure and hospitality

457.7479.7470.8463.86.11.3

Other services

196.0199.6196.3195.2-0.8-0.4

Government

542.6553.9538.4546.03.40.6

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

3,697.53,826.83,744.43,749.151.61.4

Mining and logging

1.01.11.01.00.00.0

Construction

116.5125.1117.3118.11.61.4

Manufacturing

284.3288.4288.1289.95.62.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

736.4781.3756.7747.911.51.6

Information

68.467.766.666.2-2.2-3.2

Financial activities

265.2271.5270.4270.04.81.8

Professional and business services

690.3716.2691.7697.16.81.0

Education and health services

599.2610.8607.2617.117.93.0

Leisure and hospitality

363.5381.2374.7368.65.11.4

Other services

159.1162.0159.3158.1-1.0-0.6

Government

413.6421.5411.4415.11.50.4

Elgin, IL Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

255.7265.8256.8259.13.41.3

Mining and logging

0.10.10.10.10.00.0

Construction

11.813.812.412.10.32.5

Manufacturing

36.038.237.837.91.95.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

48.050.949.248.70.71.5

Information

3.13.23.23.20.13.2

Financial activities

10.510.510.510.50.00.0

Professional and business services

36.236.834.635.1-1.1-3.0

Education and health services

32.833.232.233.10.30.9

Leisure and hospitality

25.325.525.425.1-0.2-0.8

Other services

9.59.59.39.4-0.1-1.1

Government

42.444.142.143.91.53.5

Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

409.5428.8416.3415.15.61.4

Mining and logging

0.10.10.10.10.00.0

Construction

13.816.014.915.21.410.1

Manufacturing

61.462.462.561.90.50.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

93.596.393.893.0-0.5-0.5

Information

3.63.63.53.5-0.1-2.8

Financial activities

21.923.122.222.20.31.4

Professional and business services

65.171.868.967.32.23.4

Education and health services

47.648.347.247.90.30.6

Leisure and hospitality

37.241.039.138.71.54.0

Other services

13.113.513.313.30.21.5

Government

52.252.750.852.0-0.2-0.4

Gary, IN Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

273.9281.8275.7276.32.40.9

Mining and logging

0.20.20.20.20.00.0

Construction

15.018.016.816.61.610.7

Manufacturing

35.335.535.335.40.10.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

56.758.756.956.5-0.2-0.4

Information

1.81.71.71.7-0.1-5.6

Financial activities

8.58.78.68.60.11.2

Professional and business services

24.024.624.724.30.31.3

Education and health services

52.052.251.452.20.20.4

Leisure and hospitality

31.732.031.631.4-0.3-0.9

Other services

14.314.614.414.40.10.7

Government

34.435.634.135.00.61.7

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
2018
Dec
2018
Jan
2019
Feb
2019(p)
Feb 2018 to
Feb 2019(p)
Net
change
Percent
change

United States(1)

Total nonfarm

146,665151,203148,306149,1332,4681.7

Mining and logging

695753746743486.9

Construction

6,8407,3137,0727,0622223.2

Manufacturing

12,52112,81512,74112,7652441.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities

27,19828,51227,70527,4752771.0

Information

2,8072,8392,7692,805-2-0.1

Financial activities

8,4768,6228,5678,5761001.2

Professional and business services

20,46221,34520,85320,9895272.6

Education and health services

23,62024,09223,80124,1124922.1

Leisure and hospitality

15,58816,21315,88015,9994112.6

Other services

5,7615,8595,8115,837761.3

Government

22,69722,84022,36122,770730.3

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

Total nonfarm

2,743.02,835.32,788.12,809.566.52.4

Mining and logging

1.71.61.61.6-0.1-5.9

Construction

121.2129.9128.3130.99.78.0

Manufacturing

171.8172.9171.3173.71.91.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

593.7620.3608.1607.914.22.4

Information

99.797.594.393.8-5.9-5.9

Financial activities

172.8175.5172.9173.81.00.6

Professional and business services

512.4539.3521.6530.317.93.5

Education and health services

348.6361.2359.0362.413.84.0

Leisure and hospitality

286.9301.3298.8299.612.74.4

Other services

98.096.894.996.6-1.4-1.4

Government

336.2339.0337.3338.92.70.8

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

Total nonfarm

2,727.62,786.12,726.82,737.810.20.4

Mining, logging, and construction

107.7115.4110.4110.02.32.1

Manufacturing

186.8189.4188.6187.40.60.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

420.0435.9424.9417.2-2.8-0.7

Information

80.681.781.281.50.91.1

Financial activities

183.3183.2181.3181.2-2.1-1.1

Professional and business services

485.0502.2491.3492.67.61.6

Education and health services

583.3590.0580.0594.010.71.8

Leisure and hospitality

262.5263.6254.2252.6-9.9-3.8

Other services

101.7103.3102.1102.00.30.3

Government

316.7321.4312.8319.32.60.8

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

Total nonfarm

4,636.64,803.24,693.24,699.663.01.4

Mining and logging

1.41.51.41.40.00.0

Construction

157.1172.9161.4162.04.93.1

Manufacturing

417.0424.5423.7425.18.11.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities

934.6987.2956.6946.111.51.2

Information

76.976.275.074.6-2.3-3.0

Financial activities

306.1313.8311.7311.35.21.7

Professional and business services

815.6849.4819.9823.88.21.0

Education and health services

731.6744.5738.0750.318.72.6

Leisure and hospitality

457.7479.7470.8463.86.11.3

Other services

196.0199.6196.3195.2-0.8-0.4

Government

542.6553.9538.4546.03.40.6

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

Total nonfarm

3,628.13,759.23,705.63,730.6102.52.8

Mining, logging, and construction

213.9225.5220.8221.07.13.3

Manufacturing

274.5284.0281.4281.16.62.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

769.2816.4794.3790.621.42.8

Information

83.982.581.481.3-2.6-3.1

Financial activities

299.5305.0305.0307.17.62.5

Professional and business services

604.0622.4617.9626.822.83.8

Education and health services

447.5457.9458.0459.211.72.6

Leisure and hospitality

373.5393.7385.3392.318.85.0

Other services

120.0124.0122.5123.73.73.1

Government

442.1447.8439.0447.55.41.2

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

Total nonfarm

3,047.73,137.73,093.43,120.372.62.4

Mining and logging

77.981.080.881.73.84.9

Construction

216.6222.9217.8220.84.21.9

Manufacturing

223.7235.8235.6240.817.17.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities

617.4644.7627.6621.64.20.7

Information

31.731.831.130.9-0.8-2.5

Financial activities

162.7164.1164.3165.12.41.5

Professional and business services

487.0500.5495.8504.017.03.5

Education and health services

389.5398.6396.5401.311.83.0

Leisure and hospitality

316.1323.5317.3316.10.00.0

Other services

109.3112.7113.2115.96.66.0

Government

415.8422.1413.4422.16.31.5

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

Total nonfarm

6,128.26,251.06,129.96,171.142.90.7

Mining and logging

2.42.52.42.50.14.2

Construction

247.8250.9245.5246.6-1.2-0.5

Manufacturing

504.6502.7501.2500.2-4.4-0.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,101.61,149.21,114.01,108.06.40.6

Information

255.2248.7238.0239.2-16.0-6.3

Financial activities

341.9342.8336.4335.4-6.5-1.9

Professional and business services

920.8947.8930.7946.225.42.8

Education and health services

1,045.41,068.51,057.71,067.121.72.1

Leisure and hospitality

742.3760.4742.8753.911.61.6

Other services

208.1213.6209.2211.43.31.6

Government

758.1763.9752.0760.62.50.3

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

Total nonfarm

2,672.12,740.72,705.92,725.153.02.0

Mining and logging

0.70.70.70.70.00.0

Construction

133.5140.1136.8139.05.54.1

Manufacturing

88.891.789.789.70.91.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

604.8630.1615.8612.37.51.2

Information

51.651.750.951.2-0.4-0.8

Financial activities

182.2187.7183.6185.33.11.7

Professional and business services

440.0455.9454.6458.518.54.2

Education and health services

399.1408.5403.8409.310.22.6

Leisure and hospitality

333.1333.3330.8335.92.80.8

Other services

123.1124.5123.6126.23.12.5

Government

315.2316.5315.6317.01.80.6

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

Total nonfarm

9,671.09,985.79,722.79,778.8107.81.1

Mining, logging, and construction

387.7412.6400.0400.713.03.4

Manufacturing

360.5363.9359.3361.51.00.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,720.21,802.01,743.41,720.70.50.0

Information

290.6292.0284.3287.9-2.7-0.9

Financial activities

772.8779.0770.6769.3-3.5-0.5

Professional and business services

1,531.71,582.71,532.31,541.29.50.6

Education and health services

1,981.42,056.52,013.82,045.764.33.2

Leisure and hospitality

883.3920.3888.8892.18.81.0

Other services

417.7431.2427.2428.110.42.5

Government

1,325.11,345.51,303.01,331.66.50.5

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

Total nonfarm

2,900.02,984.72,915.12,931.131.11.1

Mining, logging, and construction

110.3121.2117.7117.26.96.3

Manufacturing

180.2181.7182.0182.01.81.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

515.2539.7521.2516.41.20.2

Information

48.148.447.647.9-0.2-0.4

Financial activities

215.2216.7214.9216.10.90.4

Professional and business services

460.8470.1456.6457.4-3.4-0.7

Education and health services

656.9671.1658.5671.814.92.3

Leisure and hospitality

255.6269.5260.9259.94.31.7

Other services

118.6121.6120.5120.01.41.2

Government

339.1344.7335.2342.43.31.0

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

Total nonfarm

2,093.22,169.52,135.12,157.864.63.1

Mining and logging

3.53.83.73.70.25.7

Construction

119.8130.6130.3131.711.99.9

Manufacturing

126.2131.1130.8131.45.24.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

396.8420.6409.3409.412.63.2

Information

39.139.138.839.20.10.3

Financial activities

191.6193.9192.1193.41.80.9

Professional and business services

349.2366.2358.2359.510.32.9

Education and health services

322.1335.9333.3337.215.14.7

Leisure and hospitality

230.3233.2230.4235.24.92.1

Other services

68.270.370.070.52.33.4

Government

246.4244.8238.2246.60.20.1

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

Total nonfarm

2,406.42,490.32,447.92,462.756.32.3

Mining and logging

0.30.30.30.30.00.0

Construction

122.5127.0124.1126.23.73.0

Manufacturing

142.8144.8142.1142.3-0.5-0.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

374.5394.5380.5377.73.20.9

Information

112.0119.1118.1118.46.45.7

Financial activities

140.3142.3141.2141.81.51.1

Professional and business services

482.7506.9501.0504.621.94.5

Education and health services

354.0363.4359.8365.311.33.2

Leisure and hospitality

267.3277.7271.7275.07.72.9

Other services

86.888.288.087.50.70.8

Government

323.2326.1321.1323.60.40.1

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

Total nonfarm

3,268.93,324.63,275.93,289.620.70.6

Mining, logging, and construction

156.1161.5156.6155.9-0.2-0.1

Manufacturing

54.555.253.954.0-0.5-0.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities

401.6418.6402.9395.8-5.8-1.4

Information

74.774.673.973.6-1.1-1.5

Financial activities

157.9155.1154.9153.1-4.8-3.0

Professional and business services

751.4764.9762.1764.913.51.8

Education and health services

442.7449.4443.1445.52.80.6

Leisure and hospitality

317.6332.9327.4331.513.94.4

Other services

206.7208.3206.7207.20.50.2

Government

705.7704.1694.4708.12.40.3

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

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, April 03, 2019