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News Release Information

23-2697-CHI
Thursday, January 04, 2024

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

Chicago Area Employment — November 2023

Total nonfarm employment for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, metropolitan area stood at 4,832,300 in November 2023 compared to 4,789,000 a year ago, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See chart 1 and table 1.) Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that the employment change over the year was not statistically significant. Nationally, employment rose 1.8 percent over the year. (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. Employment in Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL, was 3,853,700 and accounted for 80 percent of the metropolitan area's total nonfarm employment. Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI, employed 422,100, accounting for 9 percent of the area’s employment, while Elgin, IL, and Gary, IN, each accounted for 6 percent of the area’s employment. Employment levels for these four divisions were little changed over the year.

Industry employment

In Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, education and health services had the largest gain (+34,800) among the metropolitan area’s private-industry supersectors. (See chart 2.) The Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL, division added 30,700 jobs, or 88 percent of the metropolitan area’s employment gain in this industry, and 28,800 of those jobs were in the health care and social assistance sector. The 4.7-percent rise in the metropolitan area’s education and health services supersector compared to the 4.2-percent gain at the national level. No other supersectors in the metropolitan area reported a significant over-the-year job change in November.


Twelve largest metropolitan areas

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in November 2023. Ten of twelve areas gained total nonfarm payroll employment over the year. The largest job gains occurred in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, (+139,700) and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA (+122,200). Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ, had the smallest employment increase (+43,900), followed by Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (+48,400), among the areas with significant changes. (See table 2 and chart 3.)

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, had a 3.3-percent rate of job gain. The rates of job gain in the remaining nine areas with significant changes ranged from 3.0 percent in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL, to 1.2 percent in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA.

The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment release for December 2023 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Upcoming Changes to Current Employment Statistics (CES) Data

Effective with the release of January 2024 estimates on March 11, 2024, the CES program will implement a new weight smoothing procedure for state and metropolitan area employment data. Background information On Weight Smoothing in the Current Employment Statistics Survey is available on the BLS website.


Technical Note

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 IndustryNov
2022
Sep
2023
Oct
2023
Nov
2023(p)
Nov 2022 to
Nov 2023(p)
Net
change
Percent
change

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

Total nonfarm

4,789.04,813.54,822.84,832.343.30.9

Mining and logging

1.51.61.61.60.16.7

Construction

187.5194.5194.4190.12.61.4

Manufacturing

409.7410.3406.6414.14.41.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

985.2960.8969.6986.21.00.1

Information

82.577.276.076.7-5.8-7.0

Financial activities

316.7324.0323.5323.06.32.0

Professional and business services

877.1867.0869.8858.3-18.8-2.1

Education and health services

748.3769.0776.6783.134.84.7

Leisure and hospitality

460.8476.9474.1468.98.11.8

Other services

195.5196.4196.1196.71.20.6

Government

524.2535.8534.5533.69.41.8

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

3,819.23,837.73,842.63,853.734.50.9

Mining and logging

1.21.21.21.20.00.0

Construction

138.4145.0144.5141.43.02.2

Manufacturing

275.5277.1273.9281.35.82.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

774.1755.9762.1776.12.00.3

Information

74.269.167.968.6-5.6-7.5

Financial activities

275.3282.6281.9281.76.42.3

Professional and business services

737.2719.8722.5714.0-23.2-3.1

Education and health services

618.8637.6644.2649.530.75.0

Leisure and hospitality

365.3380.5378.1374.49.12.5

Other services

158.3158.7158.5158.90.60.4

Government

400.9410.2407.8406.65.71.4

Elgin, IL Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

266.7270.1270.4269.42.71.0

Mining and logging

0.10.10.10.10.00.0

Construction

14.714.014.013.8-0.9-6.1

Manufacturing

36.136.035.735.9-0.2-0.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities

51.549.449.750.1-1.4-2.7

Information

2.12.22.22.20.14.8

Financial activities

10.110.110.010.0-0.1-1.0

Professional and business services

41.146.345.643.92.86.8

Education and health services

32.934.334.534.51.64.9

Leisure and hospitality

25.224.224.424.3-0.9-3.6

Other services

10.010.110.210.30.33.0

Government

42.943.444.044.31.43.3

Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

420.8421.7423.5422.11.30.3

Mining and logging

0.10.20.20.20.1100.0

Construction

15.616.116.115.90.31.9

Manufacturing

64.063.463.163.1-0.9-1.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

97.995.196.497.4-0.5-0.5

Information

4.34.14.14.1-0.2-4.7

Financial activities

22.222.222.422.1-0.1-0.5

Professional and business services

71.072.873.372.61.62.3

Education and health services

48.248.148.548.60.40.8

Leisure and hospitality

37.238.637.836.5-0.7-1.9

Other services

12.712.712.712.70.00.0

Government

47.648.448.948.91.32.7

Gary, IN Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

282.3284.0286.3287.14.81.7

Mining and logging

0.10.10.10.10.00.0

Construction

18.819.419.819.00.21.1

Manufacturing

34.133.833.933.8-0.3-0.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities

61.760.461.462.60.91.5

Information

1.91.81.81.8-0.1-5.3

Financial activities

9.19.19.29.20.11.1

Professional and business services

27.828.128.427.80.00.0

Education and health services

48.449.049.450.52.14.3

Leisure and hospitality

33.133.633.833.70.61.8

Other services

14.514.914.714.80.32.1

Government

32.833.833.833.81.03.0

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
2022
Sep
2023
Oct
2023
Nov
2023(p)
Nov 2022 to
Nov 2023(p)
Net
change
Percent
change

United States(1)

Total nonfarm

155,642156,906157,984158,4612,8191.8

Mining and logging

627650650645182.9

Construction

7,9008,1608,1948,1032032.6

Manufacturing

12,97412,99512,96412,994200.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

29,27228,72328,96329,371990.3

Information

3,1453,0373,0263,048-97-3.1

Financial activities

9,1169,1519,1739,172560.6

Professional and business services

23,02823,04723,26623,2312030.9

Education and health services

25,02425,57225,90226,0691,0454.2

Leisure and hospitality

15,99816,77516,68816,5085103.2

Other services

5,7825,8715,8885,8911091.9

Government

22,77622,92523,27023,4296532.9

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

Total nonfarm

3,046.73,073.03,097.23,123.276.52.5

Mining and logging

1.91.91.91.90.00.0

Construction

140.9145.6145.3145.54.63.3

Manufacturing

176.3173.7174.4176.30.00.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

666.8650.9657.2663.5-3.3-0.5

Information

117.6113.3113.0113.4-4.2-3.6

Financial activities

201.3209.7210.0212.010.75.3

Professional and business services

594.5586.9594.4599.65.10.9

Education and health services

398.4417.0424.7426.628.27.1

Leisure and hospitality

300.2312.2315.7320.420.26.7

Other services

106.1110.5109.1109.43.33.1

Government

342.7351.3351.5354.611.93.5

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

Total nonfarm

2,826.32,865.12,890.82,894.968.62.4

Mining, logging, and construction

129.3137.3138.3137.58.26.3

Manufacturing

182.4182.1182.1182.60.20.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

412.2411.2417.0420.78.52.1

Information

85.885.184.583.9-1.9-2.2

Financial activities

188.0191.1191.7193.05.02.7

Professional and business services

548.4555.2556.5556.88.41.5

Education and health services

609.5618.1630.4633.624.14.0

Leisure and hospitality

252.3267.1265.6259.26.92.7

Other services

99.3100.7103.0103.03.73.7

Government

319.1317.2321.7324.65.51.7

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

Total nonfarm

4,789.04,813.54,822.84,832.343.30.9

Mining and logging

1.51.61.61.60.16.7

Construction

187.5194.5194.4190.12.61.4

Manufacturing

409.7410.3406.6414.14.41.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

985.2960.8969.6986.21.00.1

Information

82.577.276.076.7-5.8-7.0

Financial activities

316.7324.0323.5323.06.32.0

Professional and business services

877.1867.0869.8858.3-18.8-2.1

Education and health services

748.3769.0776.6783.134.84.7

Leisure and hospitality

460.8476.9474.1468.98.11.8

Other services

195.5196.4196.1196.71.20.6

Government

524.2535.8534.5533.69.41.8

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

Total nonfarm

4,219.04,305.34,342.54,358.7139.73.3

Mining, logging, and construction

240.0256.9255.5255.915.96.6

Manufacturing

304.7313.0314.3315.711.03.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities

917.0906.6913.6929.712.71.4

Information

92.795.495.996.53.84.1

Financial activities

366.9382.5385.9384.317.44.7

Professional and business services

794.3813.6825.9826.732.44.1

Education and health services

493.5503.6504.0502.69.11.8

Leisure and hospitality

407.6418.4420.9419.111.52.8

Other services

131.6144.7146.4146.114.511.0

Government

470.7470.6480.1482.111.42.4

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

Total nonfarm

3,326.63,373.13,391.13,404.477.82.3

Mining and logging

67.370.170.269.82.53.7

Construction

223.3218.6218.0218.4-4.9-2.2

Manufacturing

228.0234.6235.2234.26.22.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities

691.9695.8702.3710.218.32.6

Information

33.033.133.033.00.00.0

Financial activities

181.9188.1189.4188.86.93.8

Professional and business services

554.3561.7562.6564.810.51.9

Education and health services

438.4454.1459.8461.823.45.3

Leisure and hospitality

342.9350.1347.7347.24.31.3

Other services

117.2119.5119.5118.51.31.1

Government

448.4447.4453.4457.79.32.1

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

Total nonfarm

6,348.06,352.06,421.66,455.0107.01.7

Mining and logging

1.91.91.91.90.00.0

Construction

258.5261.1265.5267.69.13.5

Manufacturing

483.2475.3475.9475.4-7.8-1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,121.21,107.41,119.91,137.316.11.4

Information

262.8228.6230.0238.2-24.6-9.4

Financial activities

330.4328.5330.5331.30.90.3

Professional and business services

1,027.01,018.11,029.21,023.6-3.4-0.3

Education and health services

1,156.11,200.01,216.11,221.265.15.6

Leisure and hospitality

749.3786.7792.7791.742.45.7

Other services

209.2213.9216.0216.27.03.3

Government

748.4730.5743.9750.62.20.3

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

Total nonfarm

2,870.82,893.52,928.22,957.086.23.0

Construction

145.8140.0143.2145.1-0.7-0.5

Manufacturing

96.297.798.099.12.93.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

655.3655.6666.3676.521.23.2

Information

56.354.254.054.1-2.2-3.9

Financial activities

214.7217.5219.9221.56.83.2

Professional and business services

514.1530.1533.5536.021.94.3

Education and health services

436.0447.0453.2455.019.04.4

Leisure and hospitality

330.7322.9328.1335.24.51.4

Other services

112.4114.9115.7117.34.94.4

Government

308.5312.8315.5316.47.92.6

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

Total nonfarm

10,063.210,079.610,146.310,185.4122.21.2

Mining, logging, and construction

413.2420.2420.2411.7-1.5-0.4

Manufacturing

349.4351.6351.5350.61.20.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,715.71,656.11,670.91,695.3-20.4-1.2

Information

328.2301.9301.9302.2-26.0-7.9

Financial activities

811.5809.1809.4809.3-2.2-0.3

Professional and business services

1,663.81,642.01,646.31,654.0-9.8-0.6

Education and health services

2,180.82,255.82,292.72,318.6137.86.3

Leisure and hospitality

893.0951.5940.5929.736.74.1

Other services

403.0401.6404.4404.31.30.3

Government

1,304.61,289.81,308.51,309.75.10.4

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

Total nonfarm

3,078.63,125.13,149.43,162.583.92.7

Mining, logging, and construction

124.4131.3130.9129.95.54.4

Manufacturing

180.9181.6182.0182.31.40.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

563.0554.3557.5564.91.90.3

Information

54.654.955.054.90.30.5

Financial activities

229.3230.2231.4231.01.70.7

Professional and business services

507.0513.2515.4516.29.21.8

Education and health services

698.2716.0727.0734.035.85.1

Leisure and hospitality

259.3281.0279.9276.116.86.5

Other services

122.5125.1127.2128.35.84.7

Government

339.4337.5343.1344.95.51.6

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

Total nonfarm

2,371.42,376.42,392.22,415.343.91.9

Mining and logging

3.13.33.43.40.39.7

Construction

156.7160.5161.5164.07.34.7

Manufacturing

150.4149.5149.1149.4-1.0-0.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities

462.1449.6454.7465.93.80.8

Information

43.339.840.040.3-3.0-6.9

Financial activities

219.7222.7221.3221.01.30.6

Professional and business services

398.6398.5400.3406.57.92.0

Education and health services

373.7387.8393.0395.321.65.8

Leisure and hospitality

239.9244.7246.5247.17.23.0

Other services

75.370.170.270.2-5.1-6.8

Government

248.6249.9252.2252.23.61.4

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

Total nonfarm

2,513.82,515.52,537.82,541.127.31.1

Mining and logging

0.30.30.30.30.00.0

Construction

124.0129.6132.3129.25.24.2

Manufacturing

156.8157.2156.9156.4-0.4-0.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

365.0358.0360.5364.0-1.0-0.3

Information

156.3150.1150.5150.4-5.9-3.8

Financial activities

146.5143.9146.4145.7-0.8-0.5

Professional and business services

531.4516.7520.7517.5-13.9-2.6

Education and health services

389.5398.9406.0409.820.35.2

Leisure and hospitality

245.0261.4261.5262.117.17.0

Other services

82.586.586.486.94.45.3

Government

316.5312.9316.3318.82.30.7

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

Total nonfarm

3,363.83,387.03,405.43,412.248.41.4

Mining, logging, and construction

164.4169.1168.9166.92.51.5

Manufacturing

58.256.657.057.1-1.1-1.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities

409.6396.3403.6411.51.90.5

Information

81.581.380.581.70.20.2

Financial activities

154.4153.7152.6152.6-1.8-1.2

Professional and business services

810.5810.7812.7807.5-3.0-0.4

Education and health services

453.4463.3468.8469.416.03.5

Leisure and hospitality

309.2322.0321.8321.312.13.9

Other services

192.7199.7200.0200.78.04.2

Government

729.9734.3739.5743.513.61.9

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

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, January 04, 2024