Total nonfarm employment for Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, metropolitan area stood at 4,817,600 in November 2024 compared to 4,825,100 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 1.4 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 3,840,900 and accounted for 80 percent of the metropolitan area's total nonfarm employment. Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI, employed 421,500, 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

Among the private-industry supersectors in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, professional and business services lost 23,400 jobs. (See chart 2.) The Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL, division lost 19,100 jobs, or 82 percent of the metropolitan area's employment decline in this industry. The 2.8-percent decrease in the metropolitan area’s professional and business services supersector compared to the 0.3-percent gain at the national level.

Other services added 9,300 jobs in the metropolitan area. The Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL, division added 8,500 jobs, or 91 percent of the metropolitan area's employment increase in this industry. The 4.7-percent increase in the metropolitan area’s other services supersector compared to the 1.1-percent gain at the national level.

Twelve largest metropolitan areas

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in November 2024. Eight of twelve areas gained total nonfarm payroll employment over the year. The largest job gain occurred in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA (+139,200). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (+36,600), had the smallest employment increase, followed by Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (+37,400), among the areas with significant changes. (See table 2 and chart 3.)

Significant increases in employment ranged from 1.8 percent (Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX) to 1.0 percent (Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA).

The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment release for December 2024 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Technical Note

This release presents nonfarm payroll employment estimates from the CES program. More information about the CES data is available in the State Employment and Unemployment Summary and the Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment Summary. See the Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment Technical Note for more information on definitions and methodology.

Reliability of the employment 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. 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. Documentation on the reliability of state and area estimates is available for metropolitan areas and metropolitan divisions.

Area definitions. The substate area data published in this news release reflect the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineations issued 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

State and area employment data from the CES program are available on the BLS website.

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 Industry	Nov 2023	Sep 2024	Oct 2024	Nov 2024(p)	Nov 2023 to Nov 2024(p)
					Net change	Percent change
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area
Total nonfarm	4,825.1	4,809.9	4,824.1	4,817.6	-7.5	-0.2
Mining and logging	1.6	1.6	1.7	1.6	0.0	0.0
Construction	188.5	191.7	191.7	184.0	-4.5	-2.4
Manufacturing	418.4	420.0	419.8	418.8	0.4	0.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	988.8	967.5	973.0	986.2	-2.6	-0.3
Information	77.0	75.3	75.6	77.2	0.2	0.3
Financial activities	320.6	316.6	317.8	316.7	-3.9	-1.2
Professional and business services	841.1	820.6	825.5	817.7	-23.4	-2.8
Education and health services	777.8	782.3	787.6	790.1	12.3	1.6
Leisure and hospitality	467.7	475.2	471.0	462.5	-5.2	-1.1
Other services	197.5	202.5	204.2	206.8	9.3	4.7
Government	546.1	556.6	556.2	556.0	9.9	1.8
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division
Total nonfarm	3,847.6	3,833.2	3,845.1	3,840.9	-6.7	-0.2
Mining and logging	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3	0.0	0.0
Construction	140.1	142.2	142.3	136.9	-3.2	-2.3
Manufacturing	283.8	285.5	285.1	284.1	0.3	0.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	775.6	758.7	762.7	771.6	-4.0	-0.5
Information	70.1	68.5	68.8	70.4	0.3	0.4
Financial activities	280.4	277.3	278.8	277.8	-2.6	-0.9
Professional and business services	702.4	684.9	690.0	683.3	-19.1	-2.7
Education and health services	644.6	647.7	652.0	653.7	9.1	1.4
Leisure and hospitality	369.9	374.2	370.8	365.8	-4.1	-1.1
Other services	159.7	164.4	165.9	168.2	8.5	5.3
Government	419.7	428.5	427.4	427.8	8.1	1.9
Elgin, IL Metropolitan Division
Total nonfarm	267.6	266.2	267.9	267.2	-0.4	-0.1
Mining and logging	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.1	0.0	0.0
Construction	14.9	15.3	15.3	14.7	-0.2	-1.3
Manufacturing	36.7	36.8	36.8	36.7	0.0	0.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities	52.0	51.8	52.2	52.8	0.8	1.5
Information	2.2	2.2	2.2	2.2	0.0	0.0
Financial activities	9.9	9.8	9.8	9.8	-0.1	-1.0
Professional and business services	38.6	37.4	37.5	37.1	-1.5	-3.9
Education and health services	33.8	34.2	34.5	34.5	0.7	2.1
Leisure and hospitality	25.1	24.6	24.3	23.8	-1.3	-5.2
Other services	10.1	10.2	10.4	10.5	0.4	4.0
Government	44.2	43.8	44.7	45.0	0.8	1.8
Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division
Total nonfarm	425.1	423.5	423.2	421.5	-3.6	-0.8
Mining and logging	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.0
Construction	15.9	16.2	16.2	15.5	-0.4	-2.5
Manufacturing	63.5	63.2	63.2	63.3	-0.2	-0.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities	99.2	96.8	97.3	99.2	0.0	0.0
Information	2.9	2.8	2.8	2.8	-0.1	-3.4
Financial activities	20.9	20.2	19.9	19.9	-1.0	-4.8
Professional and business services	70.9	68.6	68.2	67.9	-3.0	-4.2
Education and health services	49.2	49.4	49.8	50.3	1.1	2.2
Leisure and hospitality	39.9	42.2	41.5	39.2	-0.7	-1.8
Other services	13.4	13.5	13.6	13.7	0.3	2.2
Government	49.2	50.5	50.6	49.6	0.4	0.8
Gary, IN Metropolitan Division
Total nonfarm	284.8	287.0	287.9	288.0	3.2	1.1
Mining and logging	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.0
Construction	17.6	18.0	17.9	16.9	-0.7	-4.0
Manufacturing	34.4	34.5	34.7	34.7	0.3	0.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities	62.0	60.2	60.8	62.6	0.6	1.0
Information	1.8	1.8	1.8	1.8	0.0	0.0
Financial activities	9.4	9.3	9.3	9.2	-0.2	-2.1
Professional and business services	29.2	29.7	29.8	29.4	0.2	0.7
Education and health services	50.2	51.0	51.3	51.6	1.4	2.8
Leisure and hospitality	32.8	34.2	34.4	33.7	0.9	2.7
Other services	14.3	14.4	14.3	14.4	0.1	0.7
Government	33.0	33.8	33.5	33.6	0.6	1.8
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)

Area	Nov 2023	Sep 2024	Oct 2024	Nov 2024(p)	Nov 2023 to Nov 2024(p)
					Net change	Percent change
United States(1)
Total nonfarm	158,347	159,184	160,035	160,560	2,213	1.4
Mining and logging	642	641	642	642	0	0.0
Construction	8,173	8,446	8,465	8,381	208	2.5
Manufacturing	12,953	12,926	12,868	12,888	-65	-0.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities	29,407	28,948	29,152	29,584	177	0.6
Information	3,015	2,993	2,990	2,999	-16	-0.5
Financial activities	9,239	9,257	9,284	9,295	56	0.6
Professional and business services	23,067	23,008	23,128	23,129	62	0.3
Education and health services	26,023	26,524	26,831	26,987	964	3.7
Leisure and hospitality	16,496	17,079	16,946	16,763	267	1.6
Other services	5,866	5,910	5,922	5,929	63	1.1
Government	23,466	23,452	23,807	23,963	497	2.1
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Total nonfarm	3,099.2	3,093.0	3,102.5	3,112.1	12.9	0.4
Mining and logging	2.0	2.1	2.1	2.1	0.1	5.0
Construction	146.5	149.7	150.6	149.0	2.5	1.7
Manufacturing	183.7	180.4	179.3	179.2	-4.5	-2.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	671.4	650.1	652.9	660.8	-10.6	-1.6
Information	98.5	95.0	93.4	95.8	-2.7	-2.7
Financial activities	206.8	208.3	208.4	210.3	3.5	1.7
Professional and business services	593.2	580.1	580.8	579.7	-13.5	-2.3
Education and health services	421.9	430.7	433.3	435.9	14.0	3.3
Leisure and hospitality	314.1	325.1	327.8	324.7	10.6	3.4
Other services	104.8	108.1	107.6	106.3	1.5	1.4
Government	356.3	363.4	366.3	368.3	12.0	3.4
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH (NECTA)
Total nonfarm	2,829.7	2,829.1	2,841.4	2,844.1	14.4	0.5
Mining, logging, and construction	132.4	133.7	134.8	133.3	0.9	0.7
Manufacturing	183.5	179.4	179.6	179.6	-3.9	-2.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	410.6	399.5	402.5	408.6	-2.0	-0.5
Information	80.0	76.2	76.2	77.0	-3.0	-3.8
Financial activities	185.3	184.3	184.8	184.8	-0.5	-0.3
Professional and business services	531.7	527.3	530.8	528.7	-3.0	-0.6
Education and health services	623.6	623.1	630.9	635.2	11.6	1.9
Leisure and hospitality	257.2	278.6	272.4	265.3	8.1	3.1
Other services	102.8	104.5	105.5	104.5	1.7	1.7
Government	322.6	322.5	323.9	327.1	4.5	1.4
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
Total nonfarm	4,825.1	4,809.9	4,824.1	4,817.6	-7.5	-0.2
Mining and logging	1.6	1.6	1.7	1.6	0.0	0.0
Construction	188.5	191.7	191.7	184.0	-4.5	-2.4
Manufacturing	418.4	420.0	419.8	418.8	0.4	0.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	988.8	967.5	973.0	986.2	-2.6	-0.3
Information	77.0	75.3	75.6	77.2	0.2	0.3
Financial activities	320.6	316.6	317.8	316.7	-3.9	-1.2
Professional and business services	841.1	820.6	825.5	817.7	-23.4	-2.8
Education and health services	777.8	782.3	787.6	790.1	12.3	1.6
Leisure and hospitality	467.7	475.2	471.0	462.5	-5.2	-1.1
Other services	197.5	202.5	204.2	206.8	9.3	4.7
Government	546.1	556.6	556.2	556.0	9.9	1.8
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Total nonfarm	4,303.4	4,318.2	4,353.8	4,367.9	64.5	1.5
Mining, logging, and construction	251.8	258.9	258.0	258.6	6.8	2.7
Manufacturing	310.4	315.0	315.7	314.8	4.4	1.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	923.9	908.8	920.4	932.6	8.7	0.9
Information	91.3	91.7	91.8	93.1	1.8	2.0
Financial activities	368.7	378.5	382.6	383.9	15.2	4.1
Professional and business services	792.1	786.8	792.9	789.1	-3.0	-0.4
Education and health services	513.7	524.0	525.6	527.4	13.7	2.7
Leisure and hospitality	427.2	429.1	430.9	429.9	2.7	0.6
Other services	137.8	143.2	142.9	142.0	4.2	3.0
Government	486.5	482.2	493.0	496.5	10.0	2.1
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
Total nonfarm	3,434.0	3,461.9	3,476.2	3,496.5	62.5	1.8
Mining and logging	71.3	72.3	72.6	72.5	1.2	1.7
Construction	233.3	249.3	249.2	249.4	16.1	6.9
Manufacturing	235.8	239.4	238.9	238.8	3.0	1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities	703.3	692.2	698.8	710.3	7.0	1.0
Information	33.2	32.3	32.5	32.9	-0.3	-0.9
Financial activities	186.9	192.1	193.2	194.7	7.8	4.2
Professional and business services	567.8	563.8	564.6	566.7	-1.1	-0.2
Education and health services	460.7	470.8	470.6	473.3	12.6	2.7
Leisure and hospitality	356.5	362.3	363.9	362.9	6.4	1.8
Other services	127.3	133.5	132.2	131.7	4.4	3.5
Government	457.9	453.9	459.7	463.3	5.4	1.2
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Total nonfarm	6,304.4	6,285.0	6,346.1	6,365.2	60.8	1.0
Mining and logging	1.9	1.9	1.9	1.9	0.0	0.0
Construction	260.0	258.3	260.5	255.0	-5.0	-1.9
Manufacturing	475.0	466.3	463.6	462.0	-13.0	-2.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities	1,112.3	1,095.0	1,107.0	1,125.6	13.3	1.2
Information	206.2	202.5	203.2	206.6	0.4	0.2
Financial activities	316.2	315.9	319.7	318.3	2.1	0.7
Professional and business services	971.2	963.3	972.0	974.3	3.1	0.3
Education and health services	1,210.5	1,237.2	1,255.9	1,265.0	54.5	4.5
Leisure and hospitality	773.1	780.8	782.9	775.2	2.1	0.3
Other services	217.0	218.0	217.8	218.1	1.1	0.5
Government	761.0	745.8	761.6	763.2	2.2	0.3
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Total nonfarm	2,960.7	2,965.5	2,977.9	3,009.9	49.2	1.7
Construction	157.8	168.1	166.5	168.0	10.2	6.5
Manufacturing	100.4	97.1	96.4	96.6	-3.8	-3.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities	672.0	655.6	661.4	677.5	5.5	0.8
Information	55.2	54.6	54.3	54.8	-0.4	-0.7
Financial activities	219.2	216.0	216.3	217.2	-2.0	-0.9
Professional and business services	521.9	522.7	524.4	524.2	2.3	0.4
Education and health services	459.6	463.5	469.0	471.7	12.1	2.6
Leisure and hospitality	339.6	342.0	341.8	349.7	10.1	3.0
Other services	116.2	120.0	120.9	121.9	5.7	4.9
Government	317.9	325.0	326.0	327.4	9.5	3.0
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
Total nonfarm	10,199.8	10,220.8	10,291.6	10,339.0	139.2	1.4
Mining, logging, and construction	402.0	404.5	402.1	400.2	-1.8	-0.4
Manufacturing	349.0	348.4	348.4	348.1	-0.9	-0.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities	1,704.8	1,671.4	1,686.8	1,708.4	3.6	0.2
Information	307.0	293.7	295.9	291.5	-15.5	-5.0
Financial activities	828.5	824.4	823.4	824.5	-4.0	-0.5
Professional and business services	1,673.9	1,640.1	1,647.1	1,655.1	-18.8	-1.1
Education and health services	2,278.0	2,345.4	2,386.0	2,413.6	135.6	6.0
Leisure and hospitality	920.4	965.4	953.2	936.7	16.3	1.8
Other services	412.9	411.1	415.4	419.1	6.2	1.5
Government	1,323.3	1,316.4	1,333.3	1,341.8	18.5	1.4
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Total nonfarm	3,123.3	3,131.8	3,147.3	3,160.7	37.4	1.2
Mining, logging, and construction	124.5	129.6	130.4	128.7	4.2	3.4
Manufacturing	182.3	179.8	179.2	179.7	-2.6	-1.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	557.9	538.3	544.3	557.1	-0.8	-0.1
Information	53.6	52.5	52.4	52.0	-1.6	-3.0
Financial activities	229.1	231.0	230.3	230.3	1.2	0.5
Professional and business services	501.9	500.4	501.4	500.2	-1.7	-0.3
Education and health services	729.1	743.1	752.2	758.4	29.3	4.0
Leisure and hospitality	271.7	285.6	280.3	275.2	3.5	1.3
Other services	124.6	123.9	124.9	125.0	0.4	0.3
Government	348.6	347.6	351.9	354.1	5.5	1.6
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
Total nonfarm	2,464.5	2,459.7	2,480.9	2,507.4	42.9	1.7
Mining and logging	3.7	3.9	4.0	4.0	0.3	8.1
Construction	175.9	172.0	172.2	172.2	-3.7	-2.1
Manufacturing	149.8	145.7	145.4	147.8	-2.0	-1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities	486.2	476.7	482.6	497.8	11.6	2.4
Information	42.1	40.6	40.8	41.3	-0.8	-1.9
Financial activities	212.2	212.9	215.3	215.4	3.2	1.5
Professional and business services	395.3	395.6	396.2	398.1	2.8	0.7
Education and health services	409.0	424.7	430.4	434.5	25.5	6.2
Leisure and hospitality	252.6	244.8	249.5	250.6	-2.0	-0.8
Other services	77.1	77.7	78.6	78.1	1.0	1.3
Government	260.6	265.1	265.9	267.6	7.0	2.7
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
Total nonfarm	2,482.8	2,469.2	2,487.3	2,494.3	11.5	0.5
Mining and logging	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.0	0.0
Construction	125.5	124.4	124.4	122.8	-2.7	-2.2
Manufacturing	149.8	146.7	146.0	145.7	-4.1	-2.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities	355.1	350.4	354.0	361.4	6.3	1.8
Information	139.2	130.8	130.8	130.3	-8.9	-6.4
Financial activities	137.5	135.7	137.8	137.2	-0.3	-0.2
Professional and business services	505.1	498.3	502.8	503.9	-1.2	-0.2
Education and health services	405.2	411.0	416.6	418.3	13.1	3.2
Leisure and hospitality	253.8	259.8	257.8	256.3	2.5	1.0
Other services	86.5	89.3	89.1	87.5	1.0	1.2
Government	324.7	322.4	327.6	330.5	5.8	1.8
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Total nonfarm	3,396.9	3,396.8	3,415.0	3,433.5	36.6	1.1
Mining, logging, and construction	163.6	167.0	168.3	169.5	5.9	3.6
Manufacturing	57.8	59.8	59.9	60.5	2.7	4.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities	417.2	403.9	409.0	420.0	2.8	0.7
Information	79.6	79.1	78.7	78.4	-1.2	-1.5
Financial activities	153.1	149.6	151.1	151.6	-1.5	-1.0
Professional and business services	809.3	813.4	821.0	820.9	11.6	1.4
Education and health services	464.8	467.7	472.7	476.1	11.3	2.4
Leisure and hospitality	321.1	328.5	319.5	314.5	-6.6	-2.1
Other services	195.3	200.1	199.6	202.3	7.0	3.6
Government	735.1	727.7	735.2	739.7	4.6	0.6
Footnotes (1) U.S. data are preliminary for two months after they are first published. (p) Preliminary