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News Release Information

23-1390-CHI
Wednesday, June 28, 2023

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

Chicago Area Employment — May 2023

Total nonfarm employment for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, metropolitan area increased by 81,900 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 was 1.7 percent, compared to the 2.6 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 greater metropolitan area. With 80 percent of the metropolitan area’s total nonfarm employment, Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL, gained 61,500 jobs over the year. Elgin, IL, and Gary, IN, each accounted for 6 percent of the area’s employment, and Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI, 9 percent. Employment levels for these three divisions were little changed over the year.

Industry employment

In Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, leisure and hospitality had the largest gain (+33,400) among the metropolitan area’s private-industry supersectors. (See chart 2.) Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL, added 28,400 jobs in this supersector. The 7.4-percent increase in the metropolitan area’s leisure and hospitality supersector compared to the 5.4-percent increase nationally.


Education and health services employment rose by 31,300 in the metropolitan area over the year. The Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL, division added 27,000 jobs, while the Elgin, IL, division added 2,000 jobs. The table 2 metropolitan area had a 4.3-percent annual gain in employment compared to the 4.5-percent increase nationwide.

No other supersectors in the metropolitan area reported a significant over-the-year job gain in May.

Twelve largest metropolitan areas

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in May 2023. All 12 areas gained jobs over the year. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, had the largest increase (+254,700). Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ, had the smallest increase (+37,500) among the largest areas. (See table 2 and chart 3.)

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, had a 4.2-percent rate of job gain, followed by Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX (+3.7 percent). The rates of job gain in the remaining 10 areas ranged from 3.0 percent in both Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL, and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, to 1.6 percent in Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ.

The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment release for June 2023 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).


Technical Note

This This release presents nonfarm payroll employment estimates from the CES program. The CES survey is a Federal-State cooperative endeavor between State employment security agencies and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. More information about the CES data is available in the State Employment and Unemployment Summary and the Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment Summary.

Definitions. Employment data refer to persons on establishment payrolls who receive pay for any part of the pay period which 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 2022 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 estimates are produced with a model that uses direct sample estimates (described above) combined with other regressors to compensate for smaller sample sizes.

Annual revisions. Employment estimates are adjusted annually to a complete count of jobs, called benchmarks, derived principally from tax reports which 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. Information on recent benchmark revisions is available in the CES State and Area benchmark article.

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 totals shown in the same tables due to 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. Reliability of state and area estimates for the total nonfarm employment series are available for metropolitan areas and metropolitan divisions.

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 12 metropolitan areas discussed in this release are the metropolitan areas with the largest population according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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 individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

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
2022
Mar
2023
Apr
2023
May
2023(p)
May 2022 to
May 2023(p)
Net
change
Percent
change

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

Total nonfarm

4,695.54,693.54,740.64,777.481.91.7

Mining and logging

1.51.51.61.60.16.7

Construction

184.9167.8177.5184.5-0.4-0.2

Manufacturing

401.2407.8409.8409.48.22.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

954.6955.3955.1957.73.10.3

Information

81.278.478.678.6-2.6-3.2

Financial activities

316.3314.7318.7320.34.01.3

Professional and business services

860.8837.7852.8857.2-3.6-0.4

Education and health services

727.0751.9756.6758.331.34.3

Leisure and hospitality

450.2456.7468.8483.633.47.4

Other services

191.6195.3194.0195.03.41.8

Government

526.2526.4527.1531.25.01.0

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

3,742.63,743.53,779.43,804.161.51.6

Mining and logging

1.21.21.21.20.00.0

Construction

136.4124.0131.2136.70.30.2

Manufacturing

270.1274.5276.6275.75.62.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

752.2751.3751.0752.50.30.0

Information

73.070.470.570.4-2.6-3.6

Financial activities

274.8273.8277.5279.04.21.5

Professional and business services

720.1701.3710.2714.5-5.6-0.8

Education and health services

601.4624.1628.0628.427.04.5

Leisure and hospitality

354.7362.5374.0383.128.48.0

Other services

155.3158.0156.6157.32.01.3

Government

403.4402.4402.6405.31.90.5

Elgin, IL Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

260.6260.3264.6267.36.72.6

Mining and logging

0.10.10.10.10.00.0

Construction

14.812.012.913.4-1.4-9.5

Manufacturing

35.135.635.636.11.02.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

50.049.949.949.7-0.3-0.6

Information

2.12.12.22.20.14.8

Financial activities

9.910.310.310.20.33.0

Professional and business services

40.739.342.042.51.84.4

Education and health services

31.833.533.433.82.06.3

Leisure and hospitality

25.024.524.925.50.52.0

Other services

9.710.010.110.10.44.1

Government

41.443.043.243.72.35.6

Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

416.5413.1417.4423.77.21.7

Mining and logging

0.10.10.20.20.1100.0

Construction

15.714.014.915.5-0.2-1.3

Manufacturing

62.763.663.563.71.01.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities

93.194.694.695.32.22.4

Information

4.24.14.14.1-0.1-2.4

Financial activities

22.621.721.922.1-0.5-2.2

Professional and business services

72.570.673.272.70.20.3

Education and health services

46.546.747.347.91.43.0

Leisure and hospitality

37.636.936.540.42.87.4

Other services

12.512.612.612.60.10.8

Government

49.048.248.649.20.20.4

Gary, IN Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

275.8276.6279.2282.36.52.4

Mining and logging

0.10.10.10.10.00.0

Construction

18.017.818.518.90.95.0

Manufacturing

33.334.134.133.90.61.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

59.359.559.660.20.91.5

Information

1.91.81.81.90.00.0

Financial activities

9.08.99.09.00.00.0

Professional and business services

27.526.527.427.50.00.0

Education and health services

47.347.647.948.20.91.9

Leisure and hospitality

32.932.833.434.61.75.2

Other services

14.114.714.715.00.96.4

Government

32.432.832.733.00.61.9

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
2022
Mar
2023
Apr
2023
May
2023(p)
May 2022 to
May 2023(p)
Net
change
Percent
change

United States(1)

Total nonfarm

152,291154,440155,386156,3064,0152.6

Mining and logging

597628634640437.2

Construction

7,7837,6577,8247,9731902.4

Manufacturing

12,76812,93312,94212,9531851.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

28,42328,58828,58328,7162931.0

Information

3,0563,0723,0743,066100.3

Financial activities

9,0159,0399,0759,099840.9

Professional and business services

22,45522,66522,88922,9935382.4

Education and health services

24,19625,17925,26925,2741,0784.5

Leisure and hospitality

15,93816,06016,36616,8008625.4

Other services

5,6985,7955,8275,8681703.0

Government

22,36222,82422,90322,9245622.5

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

Total nonfarm

2,981.43,036.03,044.33,052.471.02.4

Mining and logging

1.81.81.91.90.15.6

Construction

137.2140.7140.0143.26.04.4

Manufacturing

176.7177.2175.6175.8-0.9-0.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities

652.1651.8652.4649.9-2.2-0.3

Information

114.4116.8115.0114.90.50.4

Financial activities

197.0203.5202.8205.88.84.5

Professional and business services

588.0581.0586.0585.2-2.8-0.5

Education and health services

385.5407.9411.7412.426.97.0

Leisure and hospitality

292.0305.0308.3313.821.87.5

Other services

101.9106.8107.0107.75.85.7

Government

334.8343.5343.6341.87.02.1

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

Total nonfarm

2,774.22,807.52,837.82,850.276.02.7

Mining, logging, and construction

128.8124.9130.5133.95.14.0

Manufacturing

183.2182.5181.0183.0-0.2-0.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

403.1406.2406.6410.77.61.9

Information

82.884.285.584.41.61.9

Financial activities

184.0189.2189.1189.25.22.8

Professional and business services

533.4541.5553.0553.219.83.7

Education and health services

589.6617.6620.4611.421.83.7

Leisure and hospitality

257.0247.4254.9265.58.53.3

Other services

99.799.5100.8101.41.71.7

Government

312.6314.5316.0317.54.91.6

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

Total nonfarm

4,695.54,693.54,740.64,777.481.91.7

Mining and logging

1.51.51.61.60.16.7

Construction

184.9167.8177.5184.5-0.4-0.2

Manufacturing

401.2407.8409.8409.48.22.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

954.6955.3955.1957.73.10.3

Information

81.278.478.678.6-2.6-3.2

Financial activities

316.3314.7318.7320.34.01.3

Professional and business services

860.8837.7852.8857.2-3.6-0.4

Education and health services

727.0751.9756.6758.331.34.3

Leisure and hospitality

450.2456.7468.8483.633.47.4

Other services

191.6195.3194.0195.03.41.8

Government

526.2526.4527.1531.25.01.0

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

Total nonfarm

4,062.34,201.44,221.24,234.6172.34.2

Mining, logging, and construction

230.5242.8241.5242.812.35.3

Manufacturing

297.9304.4304.2305.37.42.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities

872.1897.2899.0895.423.32.7

Information

89.893.093.694.44.65.1

Financial activities

354.8369.5372.2370.415.64.4

Professional and business services

756.8787.6787.4792.936.14.8

Education and health services

473.7494.8497.9497.623.95.0

Leisure and hospitality

398.6405.8413.2419.921.35.3

Other services

127.9134.5137.7139.912.09.4

Government

460.2471.8474.5476.015.83.4

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

Total nonfarm

3,235.23,332.13,335.83,354.3119.13.7

Mining and logging

65.268.169.069.24.06.1

Construction

222.6224.3216.7217.2-5.4-2.4

Manufacturing

222.6228.6229.4230.47.83.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities

660.6683.2683.6688.928.34.3

Information

32.733.133.133.40.72.1

Financial activities

177.7183.1183.1183.86.13.4

Professional and business services

536.8556.1557.9560.123.34.3

Education and health services

422.1443.0444.0447.024.95.9

Leisure and hospitality

343.0343.4350.5355.112.13.5

Other services

119.8118.7117.6118.5-1.3-1.1

Government

432.1450.5450.9450.718.64.3

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

Total nonfarm

6,217.76,298.76,344.46,361.1143.42.3

Mining and logging

1.91.91.91.90.00.0

Construction

256.9249.2253.4255.2-1.7-0.7

Manufacturing

476.1476.2476.8475.6-0.5-0.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,084.71,096.41,100.01,098.914.21.3

Information

260.2252.8253.5249.0-11.2-4.3

Financial activities

330.1326.8329.7330.20.10.0

Professional and business services

1,003.21,009.31,014.31,015.512.31.2

Education and health services

1,123.41,169.91,183.81,184.661.25.4

Leisure and hospitality

730.9760.7771.7785.354.47.4

Other services

207.9208.4210.6212.74.82.3

Government

742.4747.1748.7752.29.81.3

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

Total nonfarm

2,804.42,873.92,876.82,888.083.63.0

Mining and logging

      

Construction

143.9138.3136.0136.3-7.6-5.3

Manufacturing

94.296.897.698.24.04.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

630.2651.4646.8646.516.32.6

Information

55.654.454.154.2-1.4-2.5

Financial activities

210.1213.1214.3214.03.91.9

Professional and business services

503.9514.8521.1522.718.83.7

Education and health services

423.1440.8444.9449.326.26.2

Leisure and hospitality

325.2337.3336.2338.413.24.1

Other services

111.8115.0113.9114.72.92.6

Government

305.6311.2311.1312.97.32.4

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

Total nonfarm

9,834.59,955.49,998.910,089.2254.72.6

Mining, logging, and construction

402.0398.4409.1414.912.93.2

Manufacturing

347.3349.2348.9349.21.90.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,664.61,655.01,643.71,662.9-1.7-0.1

Information

323.0322.6318.6317.8-5.2-1.6

Financial activities

790.9804.1803.0805.114.21.8

Professional and business services

1,623.41,621.41,638.91,642.619.21.2

Education and health services

2,125.42,228.72,227.02,233.2107.85.1

Leisure and hospitality

871.8875.7907.6956.284.49.7

Other services

396.3399.9401.9406.29.92.5

Government

1,289.81,300.41,300.21,301.111.30.9

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

Total nonfarm

3,016.43,060.83,090.23,107.090.63.0

Mining, logging, and construction

124.7121.0125.0127.62.92.3

Manufacturing

179.2181.0181.6182.12.91.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities

544.6547.8549.0549.95.31.0

Information

53.954.654.554.91.01.9

Financial activities

226.1228.7228.8229.13.01.3

Professional and business services

501.4498.7507.7510.28.81.8

Education and health services

673.5704.7708.6705.131.64.7

Leisure and hospitality

261.8262.4273.3286.024.29.2

Other services

119.4122.4122.7123.94.53.8

Government

331.8339.5339.0338.26.41.9

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

Total nonfarm

2,316.22,360.62,366.92,353.737.51.6

Mining and logging

3.03.23.23.30.310.0

Construction

151.4157.5157.3156.24.83.2

Manufacturing

146.2150.2149.2149.53.32.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

452.9451.9451.3449.6-3.3-0.7

Information

43.842.642.541.9-1.9-4.3

Financial activities

217.2218.8218.4216.2-1.0-0.5

Professional and business services

391.0392.9398.0394.53.50.9

Education and health services

358.5380.0381.1378.219.75.5

Leisure and hospitality

238.4244.3246.1245.77.33.1

Other services

73.670.669.470.0-3.6-4.9

Government

240.2248.6250.4248.68.43.5

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

Total nonfarm

2,469.22,494.62,511.12,528.158.92.4

Mining and logging

0.30.30.30.30.00.0

Construction

123.8123.7125.7127.84.03.2

Manufacturing

154.4157.6157.7156.72.31.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities

352.8355.3353.8354.71.90.5

Information

151.6152.0150.5151.1-0.5-0.3

Financial activities

143.9144.8145.9146.72.81.9

Professional and business services

524.7520.0522.6524.70.00.0

Education and health services

378.0395.6399.7402.224.26.4

Leisure and hospitality

239.1245.8252.1257.918.87.9

Other services

82.281.684.585.12.93.5

Government

318.4317.9318.3320.92.50.8

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

Total nonfarm

3,301.93,339.83,351.13,363.962.01.9

Mining, logging, and construction

161.3163.8165.0165.94.62.9

Manufacturing

55.955.956.056.40.50.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities

396.7394.7394.7398.01.30.3

Information

81.078.879.078.7-2.3-2.8

Financial activities

154.3153.2153.0152.3-2.0-1.3

Professional and business services

803.5804.8805.4807.33.80.5

Education and health services

434.9456.2456.2456.821.95.0

Leisure and hospitality

300.8308.6315.1318.217.45.8

Other services

191.4195.4197.7198.97.53.9

Government

722.1728.4729.0731.49.31.3

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

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, June 28, 2023