The Bloomington-Normal area lost 500 jobs and unemployment rose slightly over the past year, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security [IDES] and Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Unemployment in the Twin Cities area rose to 4% in November, up slightly from 3.6% in November 2023, IDES' latest data shows. Bloomington-Normal was one of seven metropolitan areas in the state that saw job losses over that one-year period and an increased unemployment rate.
The Bloomington-Normal area also saw a loss of 500 non-farm jobs from November 2023-2024, dropping to 101,200 from 101,700.
Some sectors did report some job growth, including government, private education and health services and retail trade. Payroll numbers decreased in manufacturing, construction, business, finance and transportation and warehouse industries.
Across the state, unemployment rose from 4.1% in November 2023 to 4.8% in November 2024.
