SPRINGFIELD – Based on data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced Thursday that the unemployment rate fell -0.1 percentage point to 4.4%, while non-farm payrolls increased by 7,900+ in March.
In March, the industries with the largest employment gains over the month included:
- Professional and business services (+3,000)
- Leisure and hospitality (+3,000)
- Government (+1,600)
Industries with the largest drop in monthly salaries include:
“Illinois continues to have significant job growth across key industry sectors across the state, which strengthens the Illinois job market,” said Illinois Deputy Governor Andy Manar. “More jobs create more opportunities for Illinois workers, and IDES has the resources to connect job seekers with employers looking for diverse, experienced talent.”
“With more jobs created and the unemployment rate continuing to show signs of improvement, DCEO remains committed to providing businesses and employees with the tools to support and grow Illinois’ strong workforce,” said Christine A. Richards, director of DCEO. “The state’s continued increases in payroll jobs and decreases in unemployment are a testament to Illinois’ unparalleled workforce strength and positive economic growth.”
The unemployment rate in Illinois was +0.9 percentage point higher than the reported national employment rate for March, which was 3.5%, down -0.1 percentage point from the previous month.
Compared with data a year ago, non-farm payrolls increased by more than 131,100 jobs, with gains across nearly all major industries.
The number of unemployed was 283,800, down -2.1% from the previous month, and -3.6% from the same month a year earlier.
The workforce remained almost unchanged (0.0%) over the month and decreased by -0.2% over the year.
In May 2020, Governor Pritzker launched Get Hired Illinois, a website to help connect job seekers with employers in real time.
The site features virtual job fairs, free virtual training, and includes IllinoisGoblink.comthe largest job search engine in the state, which recently showed 53,117 resumes with 120,199 positions available.