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News Release Information

21-1600-CHI
Thursday, October 07, 2021

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

Chicago Area Employment — August 2021

Total nonfarm employment for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, metropolitan area rose by 118,400 over the year in August, 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, 2.7 percent, compared to the 4.4-percent national increase. (All data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year analysis is used throughout.)


Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, is made up of four metropolitan divisions—separately identifiable employment centers within the larger metropolitan area. With 80 percent of the area’s total nonfarm payroll, Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL, gained 102,200 jobs over the year. Over-the-year changes in total nonfarm employment were not significant in the remaining three divisions: Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI (9 percent of the area’s employment); Gary, IN (6 percent of the area’s employment); and Elgin, IL (5 percent of the area’s employment).

Industry employment

In Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, leisure and hospitality had the largest job gain (+43,900), with the Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, and Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI, divisions recording significant increases. The metropolitan area’s 12.0-percent increase in the leisure and hospitality supersector compared to the 17.5-percent gain on a national level. (See chart 2.)


Professional and business services added 30,800 jobs locally, up 4.0 percent. Of the four metropolitan divisions, only Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL, reported significant employment increases from August 2020 to August 2021. Nationwide, employment in the industry was up 5.6 percent.

Employment in the education and health services supersector was up 12,900 over the year, with Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL, adding 14,800 jobs while Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI, lost 1,800 jobs. The local metropolitan area had a 1.9-percent gain compared to the 2.5-percent increase for the nation.

Employment in the 12 largest metropolitan areas

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in August 2021. All 12 areas gained jobs over the year. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, had the largest increase (+463,600). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, had the smallest gain (+101,700) among the largest areas. (See chart 3 and table 2.)


Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, had a 7.2-percent rate of job gain, followed by Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ (+6.5 percent). The rates of job gains in the remaining 10 areas ranged from 5.9 percent in Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH, to 2.7 percent in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI.

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

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on August 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

Special technical note: This technical note describes the procedures regularly used on a monthly basis to develop estimates from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the procedures described in this technical note have been modified. The modifications are briefly described in the box note of this news release. More information on the changes to the CES business birth-death model is available at www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cesbd.htm.

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 IndustryAug
2020
Jun
2021
Jul
2021
Aug
2021(p)
Aug 2020 to
Aug 2021(p)
Net
change
Percent
change

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

Total nonfarm

4,376.14,495.94,504.44,494.5118.42.7

Mining and logging

1.71.81.81.80.15.9

Construction

176.2178.5182.0180.03.82.2

Manufacturing

395.9395.0396.2399.83.91.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

911.2928.1928.7925.614.41.6

Information

71.770.870.870.3-1.4-2.0

Financial activities

316.2317.4316.7316.60.40.1

Professional and business services

775.8799.5806.5806.630.84.0

Education and health services

682.8696.8697.8695.712.91.9

Leisure and hospitality

364.4399.6410.4408.343.912.0

Other services

178.2182.4182.6182.44.22.4

Government

502.0526.0510.9507.45.41.1

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

3,485.33,582.83,595.63,587.5102.22.9

Mining and logging

1.31.31.31.30.00.0

Construction

131.4134.0137.9135.94.53.4

Manufacturing

267.9265.1265.0268.40.50.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

714.1726.8726.5724.610.51.5

Information

64.763.663.563.1-1.6-2.5

Financial activities

274.8276.5275.6275.50.70.3

Professional and business services

650.8676.2682.2683.332.55.0

Education and health services

561.5576.4578.1576.314.82.6

Leisure and hospitality

279.5306.3315.5312.733.211.9

Other services

146.8150.0150.2150.33.52.4

Government

392.5406.6399.8396.13.60.9

Elgin, IL Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

236.9243.4241.4240.53.61.5

Mining and logging

0.20.20.20.20.00.0

Construction

14.214.414.314.1-0.1-0.7

Manufacturing

33.933.733.933.4-0.5-1.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities

48.351.151.250.72.45.0

Information

2.42.52.52.50.14.2

Financial activities

10.29.99.99.9-0.3-2.9

Professional and business services

31.330.330.230.6-0.7-2.2

Education and health services

30.330.630.730.40.10.3

Leisure and hospitality

21.022.222.822.71.78.1

Other services

9.19.59.59.40.33.3

Government

36.039.036.236.60.61.7

Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

397.3410.1410.2408.611.32.8

Mining and logging

0.10.10.10.10.00.0

Construction

15.315.515.415.30.00.0

Manufacturing

61.662.463.264.22.64.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

91.492.393.192.71.31.4

Information

2.93.03.13.00.13.4

Financial activities

22.522.422.622.60.10.4

Professional and business services

69.870.270.368.7-1.1-1.6

Education and health services

44.142.942.442.3-1.8-4.1

Leisure and hospitality

34.039.440.341.37.321.5

Other services

12.312.612.612.50.21.6

Government

43.349.347.145.92.66.0

Gary, IN Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

256.6259.6257.2257.91.30.5

Mining and logging

0.10.20.20.20.1100.0

Construction

15.314.614.414.7-0.6-3.9

Manufacturing

32.533.834.133.81.34.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

57.457.957.957.60.20.3

Information

1.71.71.71.70.00.0

Financial activities

8.78.68.68.6-0.1-1.1

Professional and business services

23.922.823.824.00.10.4

Education and health services

46.946.946.646.7-0.2-0.4

Leisure and hospitality

29.931.731.831.61.75.7

Other services

10.010.310.310.20.22.0

Government

30.231.127.828.8-1.4-4.6

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)
AreaAug
2020
Jun
2021
Jul
2021
Aug
2021(p)
Aug 2020 to
Aug 2021(p)
Net
change
Percent
change

United States(1)

Total nonfarm

140,728146,578146,544146,8566,1284.4

Mining and logging

595634643647528.7

Construction

7,4607,5987,6417,6431832.5

Manufacturing

12,13312,39712,45812,4923593.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

26,45227,31827,33927,3148623.3

Information

2,6222,7302,7632,7711495.7

Financial activities

8,7308,8428,8908,8991691.9

Professional and business services

20,06020,91821,06221,1751,1155.6

Education and health services

22,78223,34723,31323,3415592.5

Leisure and hospitality

13,44515,39715,87215,7982,35317.5

Other services

5,4255,7295,7885,7913666.7

Government

21,02421,66820,77520,985-39-0.2

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

Total nonfarm

2,668.82,776.22,790.82,793.1124.34.7

Mining and logging

1.61.61.61.60.00.0

Construction

127.8130.4130.5128.91.10.9

Manufacturing

161.8166.3166.2166.34.52.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

575.9591.1592.9591.415.52.7

Information

90.7101.7104.4103.713.014.3

Financial activities

177.4179.7182.9184.36.93.9

Professional and business services

522.0552.4556.8560.938.97.5

Education and health services

351.1365.5366.7370.819.75.6

Leisure and hospitality

235.4261.8269.4263.428.011.9

Other services

93.697.997.895.72.12.2

Government

331.5327.8321.6326.1-5.4-1.6

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

Total nonfarm

2,529.32,671.92,682.12,679.2149.95.9

Mining, logging, and construction

120.2125.6129.2130.410.28.5

Manufacturing

177.2181.9183.8184.06.83.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

382.6405.1402.5402.620.05.2

Information

77.680.482.882.54.96.3

Financial activities

182.4183.8183.9181.7-0.7-0.4

Professional and business services

500.5526.0531.7530.329.86.0

Education and health services

537.4553.3556.9555.418.03.3

Leisure and hospitality

190.9230.7244.9246.855.929.3

Other services

84.888.893.293.38.510.0

Government

275.7296.3273.2272.2-3.5-1.3

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

Total nonfarm

4,376.14,495.94,504.44,494.5118.42.7

Mining and logging

1.71.81.81.80.15.9

Construction

176.2178.5182.0180.03.82.2

Manufacturing

395.9395.0396.2399.83.91.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

911.2928.1928.7925.614.41.6

Information

71.770.870.870.3-1.4-2.0

Financial activities

316.2317.4316.7316.60.40.1

Professional and business services

775.8799.5806.5806.630.84.0

Education and health services

682.8696.8697.8695.712.91.9

Leisure and hospitality

364.4399.6410.4408.343.912.0

Other services

178.2182.4182.6182.44.22.4

Government

502.0526.0510.9507.45.41.1

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

Total nonfarm

3,618.43,790.43,791.93,814.9196.55.4

Mining, logging, and construction

216.3216.7216.6219.53.21.5

Manufacturing

279.2282.7286.3286.06.82.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

791.3825.3823.5830.138.84.9

Information

77.279.979.779.22.02.6

Financial activities

324.3330.3333.4330.86.52.0

Professional and business services

624.9663.8670.6684.359.49.5

Education and health services

442.6448.3448.7451.69.02.0

Leisure and hospitality

319.3377.8381.0372.453.116.6

Other services

110.7121.4121.8122.011.310.2

Government

432.6444.2430.3439.06.41.5

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

Total nonfarm

2,912.93,047.33,047.53,052.3139.44.8

Mining and logging

62.668.968.569.97.311.7

Construction

207.1204.2202.7204.8-2.3-1.1

Manufacturing

210.9207.2209.5210.8-0.10.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

607.0631.8629.3631.324.34.0

Information

27.528.829.029.01.55.5

Financial activities

163.6163.2163.4164.91.30.8

Professional and business services

482.1493.7501.5507.024.95.2

Education and health services

392.8400.5405.2409.216.44.2

Leisure and hospitality

269.1326.6328.5323.654.520.3

Other services

100.6111.3114.9114.513.913.8

Government

389.6411.1395.0387.3-2.3-0.6

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

Total nonfarm

5,444.25,792.25,776.25,838.9394.77.2

Mining and logging

1.91.91.91.90.00.0

Construction

248.3250.6247.0249.91.60.6

Manufacturing

455.8457.4456.5457.82.00.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,013.01,054.61,061.41,059.346.34.6

Information

191.4201.2205.2211.119.710.3

Financial activities

322.5323.6324.5322.80.30.1

Professional and business services

879.7916.1924.8932.152.46.0

Education and health services

1,022.51,065.01,056.51,060.538.03.7

Leisure and hospitality

485.3632.6657.3660.1174.836.0

Other services

153.2174.7179.7178.625.416.6

Government

670.6714.5661.4704.834.25.1

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

Total nonfarm

2,471.82,571.82,580.62,605.7133.95.4

Mining and logging

0.80.80.80.80.00.0

Construction

139.4138.9139.0139.3-0.1-0.1

Manufacturing

86.287.987.586.60.40.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities

567.6581.5585.2585.517.93.2

Information

45.746.646.747.11.43.1

Financial activities

186.7190.7192.9192.96.23.3

Professional and business services

433.3449.8452.7455.021.75.0

Education and health services

387.1397.2395.9401.414.33.7

Leisure and hospitality

224.8283.5285.8284.860.026.7

Other services

102.2112.3112.0111.49.29.0

Government

298.0282.6282.1300.92.91.0

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

Total nonfarm

8,699.59,189.89,164.39,163.1463.65.3

Mining, logging, and construction

391.5373.5375.0376.0-15.5-4.0

Manufacturing

324.9335.5334.7337.412.53.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,502.81,580.51,560.81,554.451.63.4

Information

277.8297.4299.6302.925.19.0

Financial activities

764.6759.5753.9760.3-4.3-0.6

Professional and business services

1,448.71,517.01,516.01,515.967.24.6

Education and health services

1,836.21,958.71,939.51,938.6102.45.6

Leisure and hospitality

584.8712.2747.2751.5166.728.5

Other services

340.5356.8360.2361.320.86.1

Government

1,227.71,298.71,277.41,264.837.13.0

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

Total nonfarm

2,709.22,843.22,828.22,828.9119.74.4

Mining, logging, and construction

118.0119.7120.7122.04.03.4

Manufacturing

173.7175.2176.7176.22.51.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

493.9517.2516.0514.520.64.2

Information

49.752.253.153.33.67.2

Financial activities

216.0217.8218.8219.43.41.6

Professional and business services

442.1463.8464.4464.822.75.1

Education and health services

612.0636.1630.2630.018.02.9

Leisure and hospitality

193.5230.4237.0235.041.521.4

Other services

102.0107.5107.5107.15.15.0

Government

308.3323.3303.8306.6-1.7-0.6

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

Total nonfarm

2,082.92,174.92,185.12,217.3134.46.5

Mining and logging

2.92.82.82.8-0.1-3.4

Construction

133.8136.0136.8138.04.23.1

Manufacturing

132.2136.5136.5136.64.43.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

410.8438.9438.9438.427.66.7

Information

36.436.937.636.2-0.2-0.5

Financial activities

203.7205.3207.7206.83.11.5

Professional and business services

350.8367.8375.7379.528.78.2

Education and health services

334.0348.6347.5355.021.06.3

Leisure and hospitality

172.8213.1214.2216.743.925.4

Other services

65.968.569.169.33.45.2

Government

239.6220.5218.3238.0-1.6-0.7

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

Total nonfarm

2,201.92,297.72,296.42,309.2107.34.9

Mining and logging

0.30.30.30.30.00.0

Construction

123.1124.9123.7123.90.80.6

Manufacturing

139.2141.7142.6141.72.51.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

332.6333.2335.3333.61.00.3

Information

134.7137.3139.0139.85.13.8

Financial activities

138.8139.9140.1140.51.71.2

Professional and business services

472.9494.4498.8505.432.56.9

Education and health services

342.6356.5355.3354.712.13.5

Leisure and hospitality

157.1196.9205.4206.849.731.6

Other services

62.671.974.975.913.321.2

Government

298.0300.7281.0286.6-11.4-3.8

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

Total nonfarm

3,103.23,212.73,214.53,204.9101.73.3

Mining, logging, and construction

162.0163.5163.6162.90.90.6

Manufacturing

54.355.856.155.91.62.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities

377.7394.0394.2389.912.23.2

Information

73.673.273.673.3-0.3-0.4

Financial activities

155.3152.9153.1154.8-0.5-0.3

Professional and business services

767.6783.3789.0789.321.72.8

Education and health services

407.5426.4428.1431.023.55.8

Leisure and hospitality

229.7262.5275.3277.347.620.7

Other services

191.8192.5194.0196.14.32.2

Government

683.7708.6687.5674.4-9.3-1.4

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

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, October 07, 2021