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News Release Information

20-2258-CHI
Thursday, January 07, 2021

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

Chicago Area Employment — November 2020

Total nonfarm employment for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area decreased by 341,000 over the year in November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See chart 1 and table 1.) Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that the local rate of job loss, 7.1 percent, compared to the 6.0-percent national decline. This was the ninth consecutive month of over-the-year employment declines in the Chicago area. (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. Employment declined in all four divisions. The Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metropolitan Division, with 80 percent of the area’s total nonfarm payroll, lost 274,100 jobs over the year. The Lake County-Kenosha County Metropolitan Division, which accounted for nine percent of the area’s employment, lost 28,000 jobs since November 2019. The Elgin Metropolitan Division, with five percent of local employment, lost 24,500 jobs, and the Gary Metropolitan Division, with six percent of the area’s employment, lost 14,400 jobs.

Industry employment

In the greater Chicago metropolitan area, employment declined in nine supersectors. Leisure and hospitality had the largest loss (-130,400), with three of the four metropolitan area divisions recording significant declines. The 27.1-percent rate of decline in the metropolitan area’s leisure and hospitality supersector compared to the 19.8-percent loss on a national level. (See chart 2.)


The government supersector in the Chicago area lost 44,600 jobs, an 8.0-percent decrease. Nationally, employment in government was down 5.3 percent from November 2019 to November 2020.

Professional and business services lost 40,600 jobs over the year in the local area. The Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights division lost 35,100 jobs, accounting for 86 percent of the local area’s employment loss in this industry. The local area’s 4.8-percent employment decline in professional and business services compared to the 4.7-percent decrease for the nation.

Education and health services lost 38,000 jobs locally, down 5.1 percent. All four of Chicago’s metropolitan area divisions reported significant employment decreases from November 2019 to November 2020. Nationwide, employment in the industry was down 4.4 percent.

Trade, transportation, and utilities employment was down 31,100 over the year. The Chicago and Elgin divisions recorded significant declines. The local area had a 3.2-percent loss compared to the 3.3-percent decline for the nation.

Significant job losses were also recorded in financial activities, manufacturing, mining and logging, and other services.

Employment in the 12 largest metropolitan areas

Chicago was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in November 2020. All 12 areas lost jobs over the year. New York-Newark-Jersey City had the largest decline (-999,600). Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale had the smallest loss (-57,300) among the largest areas. (See chart 3 and table 2.)


New York had a 9.9-percent rate of job loss, followed by San Francisco-Hayward-Oakland (-9.3 percent). Boston-Cambridge-Nashua had a job loss rate of 9.1 percent. The rates of job losses in the remaining nine areas ranged from 8.1 percent in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim to 2.5 percent in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington.

The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment release for December 2020 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, February 3, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on November 2020 Establishment Survey Data

BLS has continued to review all estimation and methodological procedures for the establishment survey, which included the review of data, estimation processes, the application of the birth-death model, and seasonal adjustment. Business births and deaths cannot be adequately captured by the establishment survey as they occur. Therefore, the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program uses a model to account for the relatively stable net employment change generated by business births and deaths. Due to the impact of COVID-19, the relationship between business births and deaths is no longer stable. Typically, reports with zero employment are not included in estimation. For the October final and November preliminary estimates, CES included a portion of these reports in the estimates and made modifications to the birth-death model. In addition for both months, the establishment survey included a portion of the reports that returned to reporting positive employment from reporting zero employment. For more information, see www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cesbd.htm.

In the establishment survey, workers who are paid by their employer for all or any part of the pay period including the 12th of the month are counted as employed, even if they were not actually at their jobs. Workers who are temporarily or permanently absent from their jobs and are not being paid are not counted as employed, even if they are continuing to receive benefits. The length of the reference period does vary across the respondents in the establishment survey; one-third of businesses have a weekly pay period, slightly over 40 percent a bi-weekly, about 20 percent semi-monthly, and a small amount monthly.


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.

For some employment series, the sample of establishments is very small or highly variable. In these cases, a model-based approach is used in estimation. These models use the direct sample estimates (described above), combined with forecasts of historical (benchmarked) data to decrease volatility in estimation. Two different models (Fay-Herriot Model and Small Domain Model) are used depending on the industry level being estimated. For more detailed information about each model, refer to the BLS Handbook of Methods at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/ces-20110307.pdf.

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. 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. 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 at the supersector level and for the private service-providing, goods-producing, total private and total nonfarm levels are available on the BLS website at https://www.bls.gov/web/laus/790stderr.htm. Information on recent benchmark revisions is available online at www.bls.gov/web/laus/bmrk_article.htm.

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 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

Employment data from the CES program are available on the BLS website 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 IndustryNov
2019
Sep
2020
Oct
2020
Nov
2020(p)
Nov 2019 to
Nov 2020(p)
Net
change
Percent
change

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

Total nonfarm

4,802.64,438.14,477.34,461.6-341.0-7.1

Mining and logging

1.91.71.61.6-0.3-15.8

Construction

184.0178.5181.9178.4-5.6-3.0

Manufacturing

416.4398.5398.8396.8-19.6-4.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities

965.1907.8915.2934.0-31.1-3.2

Information

78.375.775.175.2-3.1-4.0

Financial activities

320.6309.7311.4311.5-9.1-2.8

Professional and business services

847.2785.8801.5806.6-40.6-4.8

Education and health services

752.2706.1715.0714.2-38.0-5.1

Leisure and hospitality

481.2381.0382.4350.8-130.4-27.1

Other services

199.0181.3181.1180.4-18.6-9.3

Government

556.7512.0513.3512.1-44.6-8.0

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

3,835.23,539.23,575.63,561.1-274.1-7.1

Mining and logging

1.41.21.11.1-0.3-21.4

Construction

135.0131.2133.4130.5-4.5-3.3

Manufacturing

282.1271.1271.4268.9-13.2-4.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities

762.8715.2720.8736.0-26.8-3.5

Information

70.468.668.068.1-2.3-3.3

Financial activities

278.9269.9271.5271.6-7.3-2.6

Professional and business services

716.4661.2675.0681.3-35.1-4.9

Education and health services

617.2580.9589.1589.4-27.8-4.5

Leisure and hospitality

384.0300.7303.5274.7-109.3-28.5

Other services

160.9148.0147.8147.1-13.8-8.6

Government

426.1391.2394.0392.4-33.7-7.9

Elgin, IL Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

263.2239.3240.4238.7-24.5-9.3

Mining and logging

0.20.20.20.20.00.0

Construction

14.614.314.513.8-0.8-5.5

Manufacturing

36.033.333.132.8-3.2-8.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities

50.347.147.748.3-2.0-4.0

Information

2.52.42.42.4-0.1-4.0

Financial activities

10.310.010.110.0-0.3-2.9

Professional and business services

35.034.434.334.1-0.9-2.6

Education and health services

33.530.030.530.0-3.5-10.4

Leisure and hospitality

25.519.919.318.4-7.1-27.8

Other services

9.86.96.96.9-2.9-29.6

Government

45.540.841.441.8-3.7-8.1

Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

420.5392.5392.1392.5-28.0-6.7

Mining and logging

0.10.10.10.10.00.0

Construction

15.916.216.416.10.21.3

Manufacturing

62.560.460.461.2-1.3-2.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

92.889.790.192.7-0.1-0.1

Information

3.52.92.92.9-0.6-17.1

Financial activities

22.621.221.221.3-1.3-5.8

Professional and business services

70.866.367.566.4-4.4-6.2

Education and health services

49.046.747.146.8-2.2-4.5

Leisure and hospitality

39.128.727.926.6-12.5-32.0

Other services

13.512.612.612.6-0.9-6.7

Government

50.747.745.945.8-4.9-9.7

Gary, IN Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

283.7267.1269.2269.3-14.4-5.1

Mining and logging

0.20.20.20.20.00.0

Construction

18.516.817.618.0-0.5-2.7

Manufacturing

35.833.733.933.9-1.9-5.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

59.255.856.657.0-2.2-3.7

Information

1.91.81.81.8-0.1-5.3

Financial activities

8.88.68.68.6-0.2-2.3

Professional and business services

25.023.924.724.8-0.2-0.8

Education and health services

52.548.548.348.0-4.5-8.6

Leisure and hospitality

32.631.731.731.1-1.5-4.6

Other services

14.813.813.813.8-1.0-6.8

Government

34.432.332.032.1-2.3-6.7

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)
AreaNov
2019
Sep
2020
Oct
2020
Nov
2020(p)
Nov 2019 to
Nov 2020(p)
Net
change
Percent
change

United States(1)

Total nonfarm

153,177141,901143,488144,005-9,172-6.0

Mining and logging

729628629628-101-13.9

Construction

7,6097,4247,5127,430-179-2.4

Manufacturing

12,87112,20512,22012,257-614-4.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

28,35026,45926,82727,407-943-3.3

Information

2,9002,6302,6202,628-272-9.4

Financial activities

8,8058,6838,7268,735-70-0.8

Professional and business services

21,72720,27320,65920,709-1,018-4.7

Education and health services

24,68223,14823,48523,590-1,092-4.4

Leisure and hospitality

16,43913,21413,37213,189-3,250-19.8

Other services

5,9115,4455,5015,498-413-7.0

Government

23,15421,79221,93721,934-1,220-5.3

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

Total nonfarm

2,894.22,759.32,787.22,808.7-85.5-3.0

Mining and logging

1.51.51.61.60.16.7

Construction

130.6131.0130.0131.91.31.0

Manufacturing

172.7161.3162.9162.5-10.2-5.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities

617.7602.6607.5627.49.71.6

Information

103.694.395.596.1-7.5-7.2

Financial activities

178.7173.9175.7175.4-3.3-1.8

Professional and business services

557.6525.0532.8537.9-19.7-3.5

Education and health services

381.6374.0377.7378.4-3.2-0.8

Leisure and hospitality

306.4266.3274.4272.1-34.3-11.2

Other services

104.898.597.794.9-9.9-9.4

Government

339.0330.9331.4330.5-8.5-2.5

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

Total nonfarm

2,840.32,551.12,577.22,582.0-258.3-9.1

Mining, logging, and construction

126.0111.4112.5112.9-13.1-10.4

Manufacturing

188.5176.3177.3177.6-10.9-5.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

431.9381.6390.6398.6-33.3-7.7

Information

82.780.480.080.1-2.6-3.1

Financial activities

186.9185.4185.7186.0-0.9-0.5

Professional and business services

522.1497.8504.6506.2-15.9-3.0

Education and health services

604.1549.6556.0560.1-44.0-7.3

Leisure and hospitality

273.5182.5180.7171.1-102.4-37.4

Other services

102.780.080.780.1-22.6-22.0

Government

321.9306.1309.1309.3-12.6-3.9

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

Total nonfarm

4,802.64,438.14,477.34,461.6-341.0-7.1

Mining and logging

1.91.71.61.6-0.3-15.8

Construction

184.0178.5181.9178.4-5.6-3.0

Manufacturing

416.4398.5398.8396.8-19.6-4.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities

965.1907.8915.2934.0-31.1-3.2

Information

78.375.775.175.2-3.1-4.0

Financial activities

320.6309.7311.4311.5-9.1-2.8

Professional and business services

847.2785.8801.5806.6-40.6-4.8

Education and health services

752.2706.1715.0714.2-38.0-5.1

Leisure and hospitality

481.2381.0382.4350.8-130.4-27.1

Other services

199.0181.3181.1180.4-18.6-9.3

Government

556.7512.0513.3512.1-44.6-8.0

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

Total nonfarm

3,861.33,673.33,732.23,765.2-96.1-2.5

Mining, logging, and construction

233.9229.0233.3233.8-0.10.0

Manufacturing

290.3280.0279.8280.2-10.1-3.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities

826.4789.2805.6823.8-2.6-0.3

Information

83.179.580.280.5-2.6-3.1

Financial activities

321.5331.2334.8336.214.74.6

Professional and business services

650.9645.2656.2663.812.92.0

Education and health services

471.1434.5439.4438.1-33.0-7.0

Leisure and hospitality

399.4322.7332.1335.4-64.0-16.0

Other services

129.5119.1121.9125.6-3.9-3.0

Government

455.2442.9448.9447.8-7.4-1.6

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

Total nonfarm

3,203.52,991.63,030.43,056.2-147.3-4.6

Mining and logging

78.962.864.063.9-15.0-19.0

Construction

242.5215.8219.8220.0-22.5-9.3

Manufacturing

235.6214.7214.3211.7-23.9-10.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

645.8607.7616.0631.9-13.9-2.2

Information

32.529.129.129.9-2.6-8.0

Financial activities

168.0162.2164.3165.0-3.0-1.8

Professional and business services

514.8508.6516.2515.40.60.1

Education and health services

411.8396.5399.4404.4-7.4-1.8

Leisure and hospitality

330.7283.9290.1290.7-40.0-12.1

Other services

116.598.9103.1103.8-12.7-10.9

Government

426.4411.4414.1419.5-6.9-1.6

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

Total nonfarm

6,332.75,659.95,771.55,817.8-514.9-8.1

Mining and logging

2.42.22.22.2-0.2-8.3

Construction

255.7253.6260.7254.3-1.4-0.5

Manufacturing

496.5458.2458.9457.7-38.8-7.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,138.91,042.41,060.91,090.3-48.6-4.3

Information

253.7208.5212.5213.1-40.6-16.0

Financial activities

344.3332.6337.7337.9-6.4-1.9

Professional and business services

982.6903.3921.7921.8-60.8-6.2

Education and health services

1,096.61,027.41,041.71,047.4-49.2-4.5

Leisure and hospitality

775.0545.3576.7590.1-184.9-23.9

Other services

211.6164.5168.9170.9-40.7-19.2

Government

775.4721.9729.6732.1-43.3-5.6

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

Total nonfarm

2,749.92,517.92,552.32,573.9-176.0-6.4

Mining and logging

0.80.80.80.80.00.0

Construction

143.7137.8138.6138.4-5.3-3.7

Manufacturing

90.987.589.089.9-1.0-1.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

628.8581.6590.8601.6-27.2-4.3

Information

51.147.247.747.9-3.2-6.3

Financial activities

191.3190.2191.2191.1-0.2-0.1

Professional and business services

450.7427.2431.6430.6-20.1-4.5

Education and health services

414.4383.8387.9389.9-24.5-5.9

Leisure and hospitality

333.9248.7261.5270.6-63.3-19.0

Other services

121.2108.5110.0111.4-9.8-8.1

Government

323.1304.6303.2301.7-21.4-6.6

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

Total nonfarm

10,115.78,934.29,049.59,116.1-999.6-9.9

Mining, logging, and construction

417.4382.4385.6380.4-37.0-8.9

Manufacturing

360.1326.4328.3327.0-33.1-9.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,770.21,560.31,586.91,630.8-139.4-7.9

Information

301.5283.4287.4290.9-10.6-3.5

Financial activities

789.3756.9755.7756.0-33.3-4.2

Professional and business services

1,633.91,453.51,477.01,484.8-149.1-9.1

Education and health services

2,116.71,891.31,939.21,966.8-149.9-7.1

Leisure and hospitality

937.7598.0609.7597.9-339.8-36.2

Other services

429.4370.3372.4370.5-58.9-13.7

Government

1,359.51,311.71,307.31,311.0-48.5-3.6

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

Total nonfarm

3,013.12,765.72,800.22,809.0-204.1-6.8

Mining, logging, and construction

121.2108.2108.6109.3-11.9-9.8

Manufacturing

183.2174.6174.3174.7-8.5-4.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities

540.0498.5504.7519.4-20.6-3.8

Information

49.646.446.746.8-2.8-5.6

Financial activities

218.9210.9211.1210.7-8.2-3.7

Professional and business services

477.7444.2452.3450.7-27.0-5.7

Education and health services

680.1643.4657.5659.8-20.3-3.0

Leisure and hospitality

272.8197.8201.4195.2-77.6-28.4

Other services

122.3107.3107.8107.1-15.2-12.4

Government

347.3334.4335.8335.3-12.0-3.5

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

Total nonfarm

2,244.92,130.12,163.62,187.6-57.3-2.6

Mining and logging

3.63.33.33.3-0.3-8.3

Construction

134.7134.6136.7139.44.73.5

Manufacturing

134.5130.9130.8132.3-2.2-1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities

426.8417.5422.0436.59.72.3

Information

40.838.138.137.4-3.4-8.3

Financial activities

206.3205.0206.9208.01.70.8

Professional and business services

385.2350.3361.3361.5-23.7-6.2

Education and health services

350.0339.5344.3346.0-4.0-1.1

Leisure and hospitality

235.8189.9199.1201.5-34.3-14.5

Other services

72.772.172.272.3-0.4-0.6

Government

254.5248.9248.9249.4-5.1-2.0

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

Total nonfarm

2,512.82,224.92,258.92,278.0-234.8-9.3

Mining and logging

0.30.30.30.30.00.0

Construction

128.3117.1117.7116.0-12.3-9.6

Manufacturing

143.7127.4127.2126.9-16.8-11.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities

382.2340.1341.4354.5-27.7-7.2

Information

130.9119.4118.7119.0-11.9-9.1

Financial activities

148.3148.4150.0150.21.91.3

Professional and business services

509.1482.4490.6495.0-14.1-2.8

Education and health services

368.6338.8343.0347.0-21.6-5.9

Leisure and hospitality

284.3190.0201.7199.8-84.5-29.7

Other services

88.870.373.173.0-15.8-17.8

Government

328.3290.7295.2296.3-32.0-9.7

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

Total nonfarm

3,398.53,172.03,205.73,218.8-179.7-5.3

Mining, logging, and construction

166.0165.9167.3167.61.61.0

Manufacturing

58.054.954.654.4-3.6-6.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

417.9385.6391.9404.6-13.3-3.2

Information

77.873.673.973.1-4.7-6.0

Financial activities

161.4159.5159.7158.8-2.6-1.6

Professional and business services

792.2765.3774.7776.4-15.8-2.0

Education and health services

455.1413.4417.8420.6-34.5-7.6

Leisure and hospitality

335.4249.2256.9257.0-78.4-23.4

Other services

211.3204.1203.3202.1-9.2-4.4

Government

723.4700.5705.6704.2-19.2-2.7

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

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, January 07, 2021