Bloomington-Normal added 3,500 jobs over the last year, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES).
The Twin City jobless rate dropped nearly a full point over the last year, from 4.8% in August 2021 to 3.9% in August 2022. That's the second lowest in Illinois behind the Quad Cities.
Government (+900), construction (+600) and leisure and hospitality (+600) saw the biggest job gains in McLean County over the last year, along with retail trade (+500). No sectors saw a net loss of jobs in the last year in the Bloomington-Normal market area that includes McLean and DeWitt counties.
The statewide jobless rate is 4.8%. The unemployment rate decreased in all 14 Illinois metropolitan areas in August. Rockford has the highest jobless rate at 6.8%.
Job data lag
The data also show a significant lag in all those jobs that electric vehicle-maker Rivian and other employers added last year as economic developers suggested. Updated figures show Bloomington-Normal had about 3,700 more jobs (90.200) last summer than first projected.
Labor data now show Bloomington-Normal has a non-farm payroll of 93,700.