Today, the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) released preliminary April 2015 unemployment rates for municipalities across the state based on the current population survey (or “household survey”). The following brief summarizes this data, as well as job estimates by industry based on the Current Employment Statistics Program (or “Employer Survey”).

  • The city of Chicago posted a preliminary unemployment rate of 6.5% before seasonal adjustment – this is down from the April 2014 rate of 7.7%.
  • The number of Chicago (city) residents employed increased by 18,756 compared to the year prior (from 1,249,971 in April 2014 to an estimated 1,268,727 in April 2015).
  • Unemployed Chicago residents dropped by 15,670 compared to the year prior (from 104,157 to an estimated 88,487 in April 2015).
  • The Chicago (city) economy has expanded by an estimated 15,199 private jobs since April 2014, mostly attributed to the professional and business services (8,335) education and health services (7,509), and government (3,590) sectors.

The charts below summarize monthly employment trends. Data is not seasonally adjusted.

CityUnemp_052815

Notes: Rates are not adjusted for seasonality, and should be compared year-over-year. City selection based on size and availability of data.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), IDES, Texas Workforce Commission, California Employment Development Department

 


CityEmploy052815

Source: IDES

The table below compares year-over-year change in jobs by industry for the city of Chicago. Data is not seasonally adjusted.

ChicagoJobsIndustry 052815

Source: IDES

Chaired by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, World Business Chicago is the public-private partnership leading the Plan for Economic Growth and Jobs in order to drive business development, cultivate talent, and put Chicago at the forefront of the global economy.

WBC’s “Economic Briefs” track indicators from month to month to gauge the strength of several aspects of Chicago’s economy, including unemployment, population, venture capital, job openings and new hires, home sales, tourism, etc. This data provides a clear analytic framework for specific Plan strategies and initiatives. For a summary of these and other economic indicators, refer to WBC’s monthly Chicago By The Numbers.  

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