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News Release Information

21-1180-CHI
Thursday, July 01, 2021

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

Chicago Area Employment — May 2021

Total nonfarm employment for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area rose by 303,700 over the year in May, 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 gain, 7.3 percent, compared to the 9.0-percent national increase. This was the 2nd consecutive month of over-the-year employment gains 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 increased in all four divisions. With 80 percent of the area’s total nonfarm payroll, the Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division gained 241,400 jobs over the year. The Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division, which accounted for 9 percent of the area’s employment, added 27,900 jobs since May 2020. The Gary, IN Metropolitan Division, with 6 percent of the area’s employment, added 17,800 jobs, and the Elgin, IL Metropolitan Division, with 5 percent of local employment, gained 16,600 jobs.

Industry employment

In the greater Chicago metropolitan area, leisure and hospitality had the largest job gain (+101,700), with all four metropolitan area divisions recording significant increases. (See chart 2.) The 37.8-percent increase in Chicago’s leisure and hospitality supersector compared to the 41.7-percent gain on a national level.


Local employment in trade, transportation, and utilities rose by 76,200 jobs over the year, with all four divisions adding jobs. The local area’s 9.1-percent employment gain in trade, transportation, and utilities compared to the 8.8-percent growth rate for the nation.

Professional and business services added 37,900 jobs locally, up 5.1 percent. Of the four metropolitan divisions, only the Chicago metropolitan division reported significant employment increases from May 2020 to May 2021. Nationwide, employment in the industry was up 7.9 percent.

Employment in the education and health services supersector was up 35,700 over the year, with the Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights division adding 30,700 jobs. The local metropolitan area had a 5.3-percent gain compared to the 6.4-percent increase for the nation.

Employment in the 12 largest metropolitan areas

Chicago was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in May 2021. All 12 areas gained jobs over the year. New York-Newark-Jersey City had the largest increase (+878,700). San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward (+131,900) and Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale (+132,900) had the smallest gains among the largest areas. (See chart 3 and table 2.)


New York had a 10.7-percent rate of job gain, followed by Boston-Cambridge-Nashua (10.6 percent) and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (10.4 percent). The rates of job gains in the remaining nine areas ranged from 8.6 percent in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim to 4.8 percent in Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land.

The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment release for June 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, July 28, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on May 2021 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 April final and May 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 IndustryMay
2020
Mar
2021
Apr
2021
May
2021(p)
May 2020 to
May 2021(p)
Net
change
Percent
change

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

Total nonfarm

4,136.14,345.94,401.64,439.8303.77.3

Mining and logging

1.81.51.61.7-0.1-5.6

Construction

165.3155.2168.5172.77.44.5

Manufacturing

387.7392.5389.9390.93.20.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

840.4907.7909.7916.676.29.1

Information

72.270.370.270.3-1.9-2.6

Financial activities

310.5313.8314.7314.94.41.4

Professional and business services

750.2772.0784.8788.137.95.1

Education and health services

668.8703.8704.9704.535.75.3

Leisure and hospitality

269.0331.4352.7370.7101.737.8

Other services

158.5176.8178.6179.521.013.2

Government

511.7520.9526.0529.918.23.6

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

3,295.93,464.23,507.93,537.3241.47.3

Mining and logging

1.31.21.21.30.00.0

Construction

123.3115.5126.2129.76.45.2

Manufacturing

262.7265.1262.0261.3-1.4-0.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities

657.2711.8713.4718.661.49.3

Information

65.263.263.263.0-2.2-3.4

Financial activities

270.1272.6273.8274.14.01.5

Professional and business services

630.0654.5663.9667.237.25.9

Education and health services

552.2582.5583.9582.930.75.6

Leisure and hospitality

207.8250.3267.7282.574.735.9

Other services

131.5145.5147.0147.716.212.3

Government

394.6402.0405.6409.014.43.6

Elgin, IL Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

225.5237.6240.7242.116.67.4

Mining and logging

0.20.10.20.20.00.0

Construction

13.512.413.113.3-0.2-1.5

Manufacturing

33.032.932.833.60.61.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

44.549.049.149.55.011.2

Information

2.42.62.52.60.28.3

Financial activities

9.810.110.110.00.22.0

Professional and business services

30.529.529.629.4-1.1-3.6

Education and health services

29.130.831.231.32.27.6

Leisure and hospitality

14.620.221.021.56.947.3

Other services

7.89.29.39.31.519.2

Government

40.140.841.841.41.33.2

Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

374.8390.4397.2402.727.97.4

Mining and logging

0.10.10.10.10.00.0

Construction

14.513.114.415.00.53.4

Manufacturing

60.361.761.862.32.03.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

84.690.190.090.96.37.4

Information

2.92.92.93.00.13.4

Financial activities

22.222.722.422.30.10.5

Professional and business services

67.265.168.568.81.62.4

Education and health services

42.444.143.543.71.33.1

Leisure and hospitality

24.031.533.935.711.748.8

Other services

10.412.212.312.42.019.2

Government

46.246.947.448.52.35.0

Gary, IN Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

239.9253.7255.8257.717.87.4

Mining and logging

0.20.10.10.1-0.1-50.0

Construction

14.014.214.814.70.75.0

Manufacturing

31.732.833.333.72.06.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

54.156.857.257.63.56.5

Information

1.71.61.61.70.00.0

Financial activities

8.48.48.48.50.11.2

Professional and business services

22.522.922.822.70.20.9

Education and health services

45.146.446.346.61.53.3

Leisure and hospitality

22.629.430.131.08.437.2

Other services

8.89.910.010.11.314.8

Government

30.831.231.231.00.20.6

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)
AreaMay
2020
Mar
2021
Apr
2021
May
2021(p)
May 2020 to
May 2021(p)
Net
change
Percent
change

United States(1)

Total nonfarm

133,419143,315144,412145,38511,9669.0

Mining and logging

602610611615132.2

Construction

7,0707,2037,3707,4844145.9

Manufacturing

11,62912,26712,22712,2696405.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities

24,83026,89726,85227,0092,1798.8

Information

2,5852,6752,6932,7161315.1

Financial activities

8,5938,7508,7708,7821892.2

Professional and business services

19,23820,54920,70420,7661,5287.9

Education and health services

22,15323,51823,59423,5671,4146.4

Leisure and hospitality

10,30313,44814,02014,5994,29641.7

Other services

4,7975,5045,5675,60680916.9

Government

21,61921,89422,00421,9723531.6

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

Total nonfarm

2,561.22,730.12,733.32,748.7187.57.3

Mining and logging

1.61.71.61.60.00.0

Construction

126.2130.4130.8128.72.52.0

Manufacturing

157.8163.1165.5168.010.26.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities

550.9590.2582.4582.331.45.7

Information

89.699.7100.9101.311.713.1

Financial activities

175.8180.4179.4178.83.01.7

Professional and business services

502.5534.3537.7539.937.47.4

Education and health services

341.1362.7365.1368.527.48.0

Leisure and hospitality

200.9247.1246.7254.954.026.9

Other services

86.591.693.696.49.911.4

Government

328.3328.9329.6328.30.00.0

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

Total nonfarm

2,377.42,572.32,611.52,630.3252.910.6

Mining, logging, and construction

96.9113.2117.4122.125.226.0

Manufacturing

172.2177.9178.2178.36.13.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities

342.4396.2397.3399.557.116.7

Information

78.278.779.679.41.21.5

Financial activities

178.6181.6182.7183.04.42.5

Professional and business services

487.2502.8514.8518.030.86.3

Education and health services

521.0558.5560.4553.932.96.3

Leisure and hospitality

132.9178.6193.2207.774.856.3

Other services

68.083.685.285.917.926.3

Government

300.0301.2302.7302.52.50.8

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

Total nonfarm

4,136.14,345.94,401.64,439.8303.77.3

Mining and logging

1.81.51.61.7-0.1-5.6

Construction

165.3155.2168.5172.77.44.5

Manufacturing

387.7392.5389.9390.93.20.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

840.4907.7909.7916.676.29.1

Information

72.270.370.270.3-1.9-2.6

Financial activities

310.5313.8314.7314.94.41.4

Professional and business services

750.2772.0784.8788.137.95.1

Education and health services

668.8703.8704.9704.535.75.3

Leisure and hospitality

269.0331.4352.7370.7101.737.8

Other services

158.5176.8178.6179.521.013.2

Government

511.7520.9526.0529.918.23.6

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

Total nonfarm

3,499.13,728.13,736.63,759.3260.27.4

Mining, logging, and construction

218.6218.5215.2215.7-2.9-1.3

Manufacturing

272.4281.6279.8280.98.53.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

758.3812.5810.6813.254.97.2

Information

76.779.278.879.73.03.9

Financial activities

320.0328.2326.5328.48.42.6

Professional and business services

603.0642.8647.9651.348.38.0

Education and health services

431.2452.7450.8453.522.35.2

Leisure and hospitality

280.2341.9352.9361.281.028.9

Other services

100.2115.5115.8119.018.818.8

Government

438.5455.2458.3456.417.94.1

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

Total nonfarm

2,898.03,000.23,018.03,037.7139.74.8

Mining and logging

67.769.569.569.82.13.1

Construction

215.5208.1207.5206.9-8.6-4.0

Manufacturing

220.2208.5207.7207.0-13.2-6.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

587.7624.3623.1624.236.56.2

Information

28.428.628.528.50.10.4

Financial activities

161.9163.4162.5163.71.81.1

Professional and business services

474.0485.3490.8493.419.44.1

Education and health services

384.2396.7396.8402.618.44.8

Leisure and hospitality

248.7292.4305.2312.764.025.7

Other services

93.2107.2109.6111.318.119.4

Government

416.5416.2416.8417.61.10.3

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

Total nonfarm

5,300.45,632.95,695.85,755.9455.58.6

Mining and logging

1.91.91.91.90.00.0

Construction

242.6248.7251.1249.67.02.9

Manufacturing

446.4449.7450.8455.28.82.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

928.81,045.81,040.11,044.5115.712.5

Information

186.8204.8204.8205.218.49.9

Financial activities

320.8323.2323.6323.72.90.9

Professional and business services

859.8903.0909.7917.457.66.7

Education and health services

1,008.31,054.61,063.71,071.463.16.3

Leisure and hospitality

425.9536.7574.7603.6177.741.7

Other services

149.7160.4167.1168.618.912.6

Government

729.4704.1708.3714.8-14.6-2.0

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

Total nonfarm

2,389.92,573.32,575.42,583.3193.48.1

Mining and logging

0.80.80.80.80.00.0

Construction

137.7139.9138.0139.61.91.4

Manufacturing

85.087.887.787.52.52.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities

535.2578.9574.7576.641.47.7

Information

45.446.146.346.61.22.6

Financial activities

183.0188.1189.2189.46.43.5

Professional and business services

414.5444.3447.0447.733.28.0

Education and health services

384.4401.2401.1401.216.84.4

Leisure and hospitality

198.7274.1277.8280.081.340.9

Other services

96.3108.4110.2110.714.415.0

Government

308.9303.7302.6303.2-5.7-1.8

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

Total nonfarm

8,216.68,922.39,003.19,095.3878.710.7

Mining, logging, and construction

321.2354.2366.9371.250.015.6

Manufacturing

302.0331.0331.0333.231.210.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,339.31,538.61,538.81,557.2217.916.3

Information

278.9290.1289.3294.215.35.5

Financial activities

751.2754.2754.0753.32.10.3

Professional and business services

1,404.91,471.51,490.31,497.892.96.6

Education and health services

1,818.41,978.11,983.01,986.7168.39.3

Leisure and hospitality

426.6569.9609.0656.5229.953.9

Other services

287.0345.5348.1352.565.522.8

Government

1,287.11,289.21,292.71,292.75.60.4

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

Total nonfarm

2,557.02,774.62,802.12,822.9265.910.4

Mining, logging, and construction

107.0112.1114.9117.910.910.2

Manufacturing

167.1172.1173.3172.85.73.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

445.8506.7508.1510.164.314.4

Information

49.049.750.650.71.73.5

Financial activities

212.3213.6215.2216.44.11.9

Professional and business services

432.1453.2458.2461.229.16.7

Education and health services

602.8641.4643.3640.637.86.3

Leisure and hospitality

133.1191.7203.1218.985.864.5

Other services

78.9103.6105.0105.326.433.5

Government

328.9330.5330.4329.00.10.0

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

Total nonfarm

2,039.32,165.62,171.72,172.2132.96.5

Mining and logging

3.22.82.82.8-0.4-12.5

Construction

134.3133.1133.5134.50.20.1

Manufacturing

131.5135.4135.4136.04.53.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

388.9429.5427.9429.240.310.4

Information

36.237.036.636.60.41.1

Financial activities

202.2202.9204.1204.82.61.3

Professional and business services

349.6360.3362.3364.214.64.2

Education and health services

324.5348.0349.2348.223.77.3

Leisure and hospitality

165.4205.8209.2209.944.526.9

Other services

60.267.867.165.95.79.5

Government

243.3243.0243.6240.1-3.2-1.3

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

Total nonfarm

2,148.02,248.02,264.82,279.9131.96.1

Mining and logging

0.30.30.30.30.00.0

Construction

113.7122.9122.8126.913.211.6

Manufacturing

133.7141.6140.2140.97.25.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

309.3333.9333.2333.023.77.7

Information

131.8134.6135.2134.72.92.2

Financial activities

139.3138.0138.7139.60.30.2

Professional and business services

470.1486.6490.1488.118.03.8

Education and health services

335.8358.9358.5358.322.56.7

Leisure and hospitality

145.2160.3173.0187.342.129.0

Other services

62.268.268.967.65.48.7

Government

306.6302.7303.9303.2-3.4-1.1

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

Total nonfarm

2,979.93,144.33,175.33,187.0207.16.9

Mining, logging, and construction

156.7158.7159.8160.74.02.6

Manufacturing

51.955.155.355.53.66.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities

344.4386.8387.7388.844.412.9

Information

73.172.673.873.50.40.5

Financial activities

154.0151.6152.8151.9-2.1-1.4

Professional and business services

754.5765.8773.0775.521.02.8

Education and health services

396.7429.8433.0433.536.89.3

Leisure and hospitality

170.6228.7242.1247.977.345.3

Other services

180.1188.2188.9190.110.05.6

Government

697.9707.0708.9709.611.71.7

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

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, July 01, 2021