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News Release Information

19-1702-CHI
Thursday, October 03, 2019

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

Chicago Area Employment — August 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 4,830,400 in August 2019, up 47,500, 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 by 1.4 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 34,000 jobs from August a year ago. Employment in the Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI and Elgin, IL Metropolitan Divisions, increased by 9,000 and 3,600 jobs, respectively.

Industry employment

In the greater Chicago metropolitan area, education and health services had the largest employment gain from August 2018 to August 2019, adding 20,700 jobs. The Chicago area’s 2.9-percent rate of job growth in education and health services was higher than the nationwide advance of 2.5 percent. (See chart 2.)

Trade, transportation, and utilities, Chicago’s largest supersector, added 9,300 jobs from August 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 8,400 jobs. The local rate of job growth was 1.0 percent compared to the national increase of 0.3 percent.

Leisure and hospitality also gained 9,300 jobs in the local area since last August. The 1.8-percent local rate of job growth matched that of the nation.

Two other local supersectors each gained more than 4,000 jobs: professional and business services (+5,200) and manufacturing (+4,100). The Chicago area’s professional and business services industry job growth rate of 0.6 percent was lower than the 2.1-percent national increase. Manufacturing employment increased 1.0 percent in the Chicago area, matching the national increase during the August 2018 to August 2019 period.

One notable decline in employment for the Chicago area occurred in the information supersector where 4,800 jobs were lost over-the-year, a 6.1 percent decline. Nationally, employment in the information supersector increased by 0.2 percent.

Employment in the 12 largest metropolitan areas

Chicago was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in August 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 1.4 percent. The largest over-the-year percentage gains in employment occurred in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (+3.1 percent), and in Houston-The Woodlands-Sugarland and Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale (+2.7 percent each). Chicago and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria had the slowest rates of job growth (+1.0 percent each), followed by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (+1.2 percent). (See chart 3 and table 2.)

New York-Newark-Jersey City added the largest number of jobs over the year, 134,200, followed by Dallas with 115,800 jobs. Washington had the smallest employment gain over the year, adding 33,600 jobs, followed by Boston-Cambridge-Nashua with 39,600 jobs. Annual gains in the remaining eight metropolitan areas ranged from 81,900 in Houston to 41,500 in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington.

Over the year, education and health services added the most jobs in seven areas: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, New York, Philadelphia, and Phoenix. Professional and business services added the most jobs in three areas: Dallas, Houston, and San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward. Leisure and hospitality was the leading job producer in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell and Washington.

The information sector recorded the largest employment loss in five areas since August 2018: Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami, and Phoenix. The trade, transportation, and utilities sector lost the most jobs in three areas: Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington.

 

Metropolitan area employment data for September 2019 are scheduled to be released on Friday, October 18, 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 IndustryAug
2018
Jun
2019
Jul
2019
Aug
2019(p)
Aug 2018 to
Aug 2019(p)
Net
change
Percent
change

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

Total nonfarm

4,782.94,873.14,848.54,830.447.51.0

Mining and logging

1.71.71.61.6-0.1-5.9

Construction

189.6189.7192.3190.71.10.6

Manufacturing

424.0430.2429.6428.14.11.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

950.1962.4959.3959.49.31.0

Information

78.874.574.274.0-4.8-6.1

Financial activities

315.7317.0318.5316.71.00.3

Professional and business services

854.5859.7861.6859.75.20.6

Education and health services

719.9746.6739.0740.620.72.9

Leisure and hospitality

512.7531.4532.2522.09.31.8

Other services

200.1201.2199.6200.80.70.3

Government

535.8558.7540.6536.81.00.2

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

3,812.03,878.63,861.23,846.034.00.9

Mining and logging

1.21.21.11.1-0.1-8.3

Construction

139.9137.8139.7138.7-1.2-0.9

Manufacturing

287.5292.8292.6292.24.71.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities

748.6760.6757.6757.08.41.1

Information

70.266.065.765.6-4.6-6.6

Financial activities

273.0274.8276.1274.41.40.5

Professional and business services

719.6719.6719.9718.7-0.9-0.1

Education and health services

592.0614.1606.8608.216.22.7

Leisure and hospitality

406.2422.7423.0415.29.02.2

Other services

162.0162.8161.4162.60.60.4

Government

411.8426.2417.3412.30.50.1

Elgin, IL Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

264.8270.0269.7268.43.61.4

Mining and logging

0.20.20.20.20.00.0

Construction

15.315.616.015.90.63.9

Manufacturing

38.738.438.637.9-0.8-2.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

49.749.849.650.00.30.6

Information

3.23.23.23.20.00.0

Financial activities

10.710.811.111.10.43.7

Professional and business services

37.537.839.039.21.74.5

Education and health services

32.233.232.833.10.92.8

Leisure and hospitality

27.428.128.226.9-0.5-1.8

Other services

9.59.79.69.60.11.1

Government

40.443.241.441.30.92.2

Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

426.7441.0438.4435.79.02.1

Mining and logging

0.10.10.10.10.00.0

Construction

16.417.517.717.61.27.3

Manufacturing

62.163.162.863.00.91.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

94.394.494.394.70.40.4

Information

3.63.63.63.5-0.1-2.8

Financial activities

23.122.622.522.4-0.7-3.0

Professional and business services

72.277.777.577.35.17.1

Education and health services

46.648.048.548.11.53.2

Leisure and hospitality

44.945.546.445.30.40.9

Other services

13.813.813.813.80.00.0

Government

49.654.751.249.90.30.6

Gary, IN Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

279.4283.5279.2280.30.90.3

Mining and logging

0.20.20.20.20.00.0

Construction

18.018.818.918.50.52.8

Manufacturing

35.735.935.635.0-0.7-2.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

57.557.657.857.70.20.3

Information

1.81.71.71.7-0.1-5.6

Financial activities

8.98.88.88.8-0.1-1.1

Professional and business services

25.224.625.224.5-0.7-2.8

Education and health services

49.151.350.951.22.14.3

Leisure and hospitality

34.235.134.634.60.41.2

Other services

14.814.914.814.80.00.0

Government

34.034.630.733.3-0.7-2.1

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)
AreaAug
2018
Jun
2019
Jul
2019
Aug
2019(p)
Aug 2018 to
Aug 2019(p)
Net
change
Percent
change

United States(1)

Total nonfarm

149,453152,243151,169151,5172,0641.4

Mining and logging

75776276376250.7

Construction

7,5877,6997,7507,7641772.3

Manufacturing

12,80112,92612,92212,9341331.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

27,66127,83127,80127,748870.3

Information

2,8512,8372,8482,85650.2

Financial activities

8,6468,7128,7608,7601141.3

Professional and business services

21,21621,58421,60421,6684522.1

Education and health services

23,44424,03223,94424,0215772.5

Leisure and hospitality

17,09617,40317,47817,3983021.8

Other services

5,8906,0146,0205,983931.6

Government

21,50422,44321,27921,6231190.6

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

Total nonfarm

2,805.62,841.72,835.82,848.142.51.5

Mining and logging

1.61.61.61.60.00.0

Construction

127.6134.6134.2133.76.14.8

Manufacturing

172.1174.0175.2175.43.31.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities

603.1606.6606.1604.21.10.2

Information

99.299.199.398.8-0.4-0.4

Financial activities

175.3174.6176.2176.81.50.9

Professional and business services

528.4539.2538.8538.09.61.8

Education and health services

357.6359.7360.4365.98.32.3

Leisure and hospitality

304.9318.5318.5319.414.54.8

Other services

101.898.699.398.5-3.3-3.2

Government

334.0335.2326.2335.81.80.5

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

Total nonfarm

2,770.92,837.12,819.32,810.539.61.4

Mining, logging, and construction

122.1122.3124.6123.31.21.0

Manufacturing

189.4189.5189.0189.0-0.4-0.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

423.5426.0423.2421.1-2.4-0.6

Information

81.983.483.784.93.03.7

Financial activities

186.9186.7187.7188.11.20.6

Professional and business services

510.2513.7516.5519.18.91.7

Education and health services

571.7591.2592.6589.217.53.1

Leisure and hospitality

290.2299.4298.9296.76.52.2

Other services

107.7107.9109.7109.31.61.5

Government

287.3317.0293.4289.82.50.9

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

Total nonfarm

4,782.94,873.14,848.54,830.447.51.0

Mining and logging

1.71.71.61.6-0.1-5.9

Construction

189.6189.7192.3190.71.10.6

Manufacturing

424.0430.2429.6428.14.11.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

950.1962.4959.3959.49.31.0

Information

78.874.574.274.0-4.8-6.1

Financial activities

315.7317.0318.5316.71.00.3

Professional and business services

854.5859.7861.6859.75.20.6

Education and health services

719.9746.6739.0740.620.72.9

Leisure and hospitality

512.7531.4532.2522.09.31.8

Other services

200.1201.2199.6200.80.70.3

Government

535.8558.7540.6536.81.00.2

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

Total nonfarm

3,695.13,810.13,804.53,810.9115.83.1

Mining, logging, and construction

223.9234.2236.8238.614.76.6

Manufacturing

280.2286.7288.2286.96.72.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

785.5799.2800.4800.414.91.9

Information

83.181.481.582.2-0.9-1.1

Financial activities

303.7312.3317.6317.714.04.6

Professional and business services

627.4647.2653.6655.528.14.5

Education and health services

453.0461.4462.8465.612.62.8

Leisure and hospitality

392.6411.8408.3407.915.33.9

Other services

125.8132.5130.8129.94.13.3

Government

419.9443.4424.5426.26.31.5

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

Total nonfarm

3,085.03,185.23,166.93,166.981.92.7

Mining and logging

79.287.686.985.86.68.3

Construction

223.5229.6228.1227.13.61.6

Manufacturing

231.5240.9241.6243.011.55.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

624.2630.4630.4630.76.51.0

Information

31.530.730.529.8-1.7-5.4

Financial activities

165.7166.6168.0168.83.11.9

Professional and business services

499.5516.4520.6522.322.84.6

Education and health services

396.4402.0400.3406.09.62.4

Leisure and hospitality

332.9341.1341.4337.64.71.4

Other services

111.9122.2120.3121.69.78.7

Government

388.7417.7398.8394.25.51.4

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

Total nonfarm

6,131.36,246.46,174.76,202.971.61.2

Mining and logging

2.42.42.52.50.14.2

Construction

257.7266.8269.6268.510.84.2

Manufacturing

504.5505.2505.4505.40.90.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,111.01,104.71,108.41,108.5-2.5-0.2

Information

240.3236.9236.0241.31.00.4

Financial activities

343.4338.1341.6343.90.50.1

Professional and business services

943.9947.8951.8960.816.91.8

Education and health services

1,039.71,066.71,057.31,068.829.12.8

Leisure and hospitality

766.7788.4784.6783.616.92.2

Other services

211.1215.5213.7213.52.41.1

Government

710.6773.9703.8706.1-4.5-0.6

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

Total nonfarm

2,672.72,703.82,699.82,725.853.12.0

Mining and logging

0.70.70.70.70.00.0

Construction

138.9143.5143.5141.72.82.0

Manufacturing

89.891.591.891.82.02.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

603.6607.8606.4606.93.30.5

Information

51.950.650.450.1-1.8-3.5

Financial activities

184.4186.2186.5187.73.31.8

Professional and business services

446.8459.1461.3461.314.53.2

Education and health services

397.9413.9413.6417.019.14.8

Leisure and hospitality

323.1330.4328.2327.64.51.4

Other services

122.8126.3126.4126.73.93.2

Government

312.8293.8291.0314.31.50.5

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

Total nonfarm

9,803.810,058.89,990.29,938.0134.21.4

Mining, logging, and construction

420.9433.5435.7436.515.63.7

Manufacturing

362.2366.9364.6363.21.00.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,717.51,746.31,727.81,722.04.50.3

Information

296.0296.5297.5297.01.00.3

Financial activities

794.4780.9785.7783.6-10.8-1.4

Professional and business services

1,586.91,607.51,595.01,590.73.80.2

Education and health services

1,926.22,036.82,001.61,995.969.73.6

Leisure and hospitality

985.21,009.41,025.01,019.934.73.5

Other services

425.0437.2436.6435.410.42.4

Government

1,289.51,343.81,320.71,293.84.30.3

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

Total nonfarm

2,919.02,988.02,958.02,960.541.51.4

Mining, logging, and construction

121.8128.0128.7128.46.65.4

Manufacturing

182.7183.5183.3183.00.30.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

519.4520.9518.8515.9-3.5-0.7

Information

48.549.049.149.40.91.9

Financial activities

217.6218.6218.8219.31.70.8

Professional and business services

467.0478.7475.7478.611.62.5

Education and health services

640.3653.9650.4652.111.81.8

Leisure and hospitality

285.0293.3293.3291.16.12.1

Other services

122.2125.2124.1123.51.31.1

Government

314.5336.9315.8319.24.71.5

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

Total nonfarm

2,102.82,126.52,117.72,160.457.62.7

Mining and logging

3.73.73.73.70.00.0

Construction

126.0137.4137.0137.011.08.7

Manufacturing

128.4134.8136.0136.58.16.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

402.6408.8409.0411.38.72.2

Information

38.638.237.637.8-0.8-2.1

Financial activities

193.3193.7193.4196.63.31.7

Professional and business services

355.2361.4360.0359.74.51.3

Education and health services

324.5333.7335.2338.614.14.3

Leisure and hospitality

224.7228.7227.2228.03.31.5

Other services

69.270.770.171.11.92.7

Government

236.6215.4208.5240.13.51.5

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

Total nonfarm

2,449.72,512.32,506.22,508.859.12.4

Mining and logging

0.30.30.30.30.00.0

Construction

127.4137.6137.3137.510.17.9

Manufacturing

146.6143.7144.1144.0-2.6-1.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

379.6377.4379.7379.5-0.10.0

Information

119.2123.0123.8124.45.24.4

Financial activities

142.9145.8147.7147.24.33.0

Professional and business services

500.7516.7522.0522.221.54.3

Education and health services

352.1365.6363.3364.412.33.5

Leisure and hospitality

279.4286.0286.4285.76.32.3

Other services

89.187.587.486.7-2.4-2.7

Government

312.4328.7314.2316.94.51.4

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

Total nonfarm

3,301.13,359.73,361.13,334.733.61.0

Mining, logging, and construction

164.6162.8164.9167.32.71.6

Manufacturing

56.056.256.455.4-0.6-1.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

405.9405.8404.0401.5-4.4-1.1

Information

74.573.673.973.2-1.3-1.7

Financial activities

160.2158.3157.1158.0-2.2-1.4

Professional and business services

770.6778.6784.5780.09.41.2

Education and health services

435.9443.3443.8444.88.92.0

Leisure and hospitality

346.0362.9361.1361.615.64.5

Other services

210.1212.0214.0213.13.01.4

Government

677.3706.2701.4679.82.50.4

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

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, October 03, 2019