The Bloomington-Normal labor market added 1,500 jobs over the last year, but the area's unemployment rate still rose past the state average.
According to data from the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), the unemployment rate for the Bloomington-Normal labor market that includes McLean and DeWitt counties rose to 4.6% in July. That’s up nearly a full percentage point from July 2022, when the rate was 3.7%.
Manufacturing (+600) and Retail (+500) drove much of the job gains in the Twin Cities over the last year, according to IDES. Construction-Mining (-200) Professional-Business Services (-100) and Information (-100) reported the most job losses.
The Bloomington-Normal labor market reports 96,1000 non-farm jobs.
The statewide unemployment rate was 4.5% in July. The Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights market has the lowest unemployment in the state at 4%. Rockford came in with the highest at 6.8%.
