SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that nonfarm payrolls were down -3,400 while the unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.3 percent in November, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and released by IDES. The October monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from -2,400 to +8,400, while the revised unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, unchanged from the preliminary October unemployment rate. The November payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th.
In November, the industry sectors with the largest over-the-month job losses included: Construction (-2,700), Professional and Business Services (-2,400), Manufacturing (-1,400) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-1,400). The industry sectors with the largest monthly payroll job increases included: Leisure and Hospitality (+2,000), Other Services (+1,100), and Private Education and Health Services (+1,000).
“Illinois remains committed and focused on investing in continued workforce development, job expansion, and engaging both jobseekers and employers,” said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. “As workers and employers remain active in the labor market, IDES and its partners continue to serve as a tool in workforce ecosystem to bridge the two together and provide critical assistance.”
“DCEO is committed to ensuring Illinois remains an epicenter for employment and economic opportunity,” said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. “Together with our workforce partners at IDES and other state and local agencies, we are working to support a variety of sectors that create good-paying jobs for Illinoisans.”
The state’s unemployment rate was +1.1 percentage points higher than the national unemployment rate reported for November. The national unemployment rate was 4.2 percent in November, up +0.1 percentage point from the previous month. The Illinois unemployment rate was up +0.6 percentage point from a year ago when it was 4.7 percent.
Compared to a year ago, total nonfarm payroll jobs increased by +42,600 jobs. The industry groups with the largest jobs increases included: Government (+27,100), Private Education and Health Services (+25,100), and Other Services (+10,900). The industry groups with the largest jobs decreases included: Professional and Business Services (-12,400), Financial Activities (-7,400), and Manufacturing (-6,100). In November, total nonfarm payrolls were up +0.7 percent over-the-year in Illinois and up +1.4 percent in the nation.
The number of unemployed workers was 346,400, unchanged from the prior month, and up +13.1 percent over the same month one year ago. The labor force was up +0.1 percent over-the-month and up +1.2 percent over-the-year. The unemployment rate identifies those individuals who are out of work and seeking employment. An individual who exhausts or is ineligible for benefits is still reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.
IDES helps connect jobseekers to employers who are hiring in a number of ways, including hosting and co-hosting job fairs and hiring events with statewide workforce partners, and through maintaining Illinois JobLink (IJL), the state’s largest job search engine. IJL is a tool used by jobseekers to look for work, and by employers who can post open and available positions for hire and browse resumes. Recently, IJL showed 64,412 posted resumes with 73,689 jobs available.