Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Illinois Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Chicago fell 0.2 percentage points in December 2011 to 10.0%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.2 percentage points higher than the Illinois rate. The unemployment rate in Chicago peaked in December 2009 at 11.1% and is now 1.1 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 8.6% in April 2011, the unemployment rate has now grown by 1.4 percentage points. You can also compare Chicago unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate	December 2011	Month/Month	Year/Year
National	8.5%	-0.2	-0.9
Illinois	9.8%	-0.2	+0.6
Chicago	10.0%	-0.2	+0.7

Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.¹ All comparisons are made with December 2011 data as January metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Chicago, Illinois, National

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Chicago, Illinois Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Chicago peaked in January 2010 at 539,051. There are now 53,623 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 414,645 in April 2011, the number of unemployed has now grown by 70,783. Chicago employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Chicago, Illinois) is also available.

Unemployed Persons	December 2011	Month/Month	Year/Year
Chicago	485,428	-9,755	+33,295

Number of Unemployed Persons

Chicago, Illinois Unemployment History

Date	National Unemployment Rate	Illinois Unemployment Rate	Chicago Unemployment Rate	Chicago Unemployed
January 2012	8.3%	—	—	—
December 2011	8.5%	9.8%	10.0%	485,428
November 2011	8.7%	10.0%	10.2%	495,183
October 2011	8.9%	10.1%	10.2%	497,617
September 2011	9.0%	10.0%	10.1%	493,872
August 2011	9.1%	9.9%	10.0%	486,818
July 2011	9.1%	9.5%	9.6%	466,053
June 2011	9.1%	9.1%	9.3%	447,739
May 2011	9.0%	8.9%	8.9%	428,436
April 2011	9.0%	8.7%	8.6%	414,645
March 2011	8.9%	8.8%	8.7%	418,832
February 2011	9.0%	8.9%	8.9%	428,633
January 2011	9.1%	9.0%	9.1%	440,248