Nine of 15 Illinois metros add jobs in December as employment gains trail nation
New data shows nine of 15 Illinois metropolitan areas added jobs in December as the state gained 8,800 jobs. Ten metro areas reported higher unemployment than the national average.
New data shows nine of the 15 Illinois metropolitan areas added jobs in December 2024, reporting an overall increase of 8,800 jobs statewide, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Danville metro area in East Central Illinois saw the largest percent increase in non-farm employment, growing 1.14% since November. Leading the losses was the Decatur area.
State employment growth slightly trailed the national economy. Illinois reported 0.14% more jobs in December, compared to 0.16% growth nationwide.
Employment gains were most heavily concentrated in the St. Louis Metro, which added 55 out of every 100 new jobs gained during the past month.
The Chicago metro area saw a notable increase of 3,600 jobs, with the area’s rate of job gains ranking second highest among Illinois metros from November 2024 to December 2024.
Overall, 10 Illinois metro areas added jobs since December 2024 and seven reported higher employment than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Only one metro area outperformed the U.S. job recovery rate since the pandemic: Bloomington at 6.9%, compared to 4.9% nationwide.
Illinois employment growth exceeded pre-pandemic levels but trailed behind the national economy, with the state adding 0.25% more jobs. Eight areas continued to report fewer jobs than before the pandemic.
In total, 10 of Illinois’ 15 metros also reported a higher unemployment rate than the national average in December. Danville faced the highest unemployment at 5.4% while St. Louis and Cape Girardeau reported the lowest unemployment.
Illinois’ sluggish jobs recovery from the pandemic has been further complicated by population loss continuing to hit communities across the state. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows Illinois lost 56,235 residents to domestic outmigration in 2024, the third most after California and New York.
Historically, high taxes have been the No. 1 reason Illinoisans considered leaving the state. The Illinois Policy Institute’s Lincoln Poll in 2023 substantiated that reason.
Illinois’ state and local tax burden is the highest in the Midwest. Illinois also levies the second-highest state corporate income tax in the nation and the state’s tax code is among the least friendly for businesses in the Midwest.
To grow, the state must focus on strengthening its fiscal position, removing regulatory burdens, and providing real tax relief both to workers who are already finding it difficult to remain and to job creators who are desperately trying to stay.