The Bloomington-Normal labor market area ended last year with the lowest unemployment rate in the state, at 3.1%.
New jobs data from the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) show the labor market which includes McLean and DeWitt counties added about 2,600 jobs last year to a bring its total of nonfarm payroll jobs to 95,500.
McLean County’s unemployed registered at 3% and DeWitt County was 3.8%. Both are below the statewide average of 4.2%.
The data also reflect the lag in new jobs being counted.
IDES reported the Bloomington-Normal market payroll was 87,300 in December 2021. It now indicates the total was 92,900. That seems to confirm suspicions from economic developers that job gains posted by electric automaker Rivian and other employers were not reflected in the data.
Educational and health services (+700), retail (+700) and government (+600) had the highest job gains last year. The Bloomington-Normal market saw job losses in professional and business services (-100).
All 14 metro areas in Illinois saw some employment gains last year.
