Bloomington-Normal has added 4,500 jobs since February 2022 and has the lowest unemployment rate in the state.
Data from the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) show the jobless rate for the Bloomington-Normal labor market, which includes McLean and DeWitt counties, is 4% — unchanged over the last year.
The job gains in the Bloomington-Normal labor market mark the largest percentage increase in year-to-year job gains (4.8%).
Manufacturing saw the biggest job gains (2,100), followed by leisure and hospitality (900), putting the area’s nonfarm payroll at 98,000. Professional and business services (-500) and information (-100) saw the most job losses.
Total nonfarm jobs increased in 13 of 14 metropolitan areas of Illinois over the last year. Half of the markets saw a drop in unemployment, five markets saw a rate increase, and two were changed.
The statewide unemployment rate in February was 4.5%; Kankakee had the highest rate at 6.5%.
