Chicago employment levels rise 1.4% for preliminary 2017

The preliminary 2017 total for UI-covered (private sector) employment in the Chicago metro area increased to 3,555,979, which is up 1.4 percent or 48,145 jobs, according to new figures released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security in its Where Workers Work December 2017 report.

Breaking it down by county: Cook County had an increase in private sector employment of 22,280 (+1.0 percent) from March 2016 to March 2017; Du Page County had an increase in private sector employment of 10,284 (+1.9 percent); Kane County had an increase in private sector employment of 3,638 (+2.1 percent); Lake County had a decrease in private sector employment of 350 (–0.1 percent; McHenry County had an increase in private sector employment of 1,086 (+1.4 percent); and Will County had an increase in private sector employment of 11,207 (+5.9 percent).

However, the number of establishments in the Chicago metro area decreased by 28,171 (–11.1 percent) from 2016 to 2017 for a total of 225,335. The primary reason for this change in the number of establishments was the implementation of a new unemployment insurance tax system in 2017 and allowed IDES to more accurately account for inactive accounts, with zero wages and zero employment.

The full report can be found here.