Illinois’ unemployment rate ranked fourth worst in the nation in January 2024 after a decline in the number of jobs statewide during the past 12 months. Illinois continues to lag the nation and all its neighbors in job growth.
By Patrick Andriesen | Illinois Policy Institute
Illinois’ unemployment rate tied for 4th-worst in the U.S. in January 2024, with 4.7% of the state’s workforce unemployed, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Illinois’ unemployment rate continued to exceed the national average of 3.7% in January. It was higher than in any neighboring state.
Illinois lost 6,600 jobs between January 2024 and January 2023, ranking 49th among U.S. states for non-farm job growth at -0.1%. Nationwide, states added 2.76 million jobs during that time, growing by 1.8%.
Illinois’ private education and health services and local government sectors reported the largest net increases in employment.
Meanwhile, Illinois’ professional and business services sector led the state in job losses during the 12-month period, reporting 40,000 fewer positions than a year earlier.
While Illinois saw modest gains across half of its industries, driven in large part by growth in the government sector, the state continued to lag the national economy as well as most neighboring states.
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Well ———- we all know “S”illinois, has been controlled by Dems forever. Chicago residents vote “DEM” as a knee-jerk reaction to their horrible K-12 educations and brain washing. So “they” get what they deserve, but the rest of us suffer. Perhaps we need a movement to form a truly deserved 51st state, carving out Crook County. That would raise the real estate values in all other counties, and (unfortunately for our friends who live in Crook) drastically drop theirs.