Department of Numbers

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, Illinois Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Chicago fell 0.1 percentage points in April 2021 to 7.8%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.7 percentage points higher than the Illinois rate. The unemployment rate in Chicago peaked in April 2020 at 16.7% and is now 8.9 percentage points lower. You can also compare Chicago unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate April 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 6.1% +0.1 -8.7
Illinois 7.1% 0.0 -9.4
Chicago 7.8% -0.1 -8.9
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with April 2021 data as May metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Chicago, Illinois, National

Chicago, Illinois monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Chicago, Illinois Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Chicago peaked in April 2020 at 758,935. There are now 395,687 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Chicago employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Chicago, Illinois) is also available.

Unemployed Persons April 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Chicago 363,248 -7,223 -395,687

Number of Unemployed Persons

Chicago, Illinois Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Illinois
Unemployment Rate		 Chicago
Unemployment Rate		 Chicago
Unemployed
May
2021		 5.8% — — —
April
2021		 6.1% 7.1% 7.8% 363,248
March
2021		 6.0% 7.1% 7.9% 370,471
February
2021		 6.2% 7.4% 8.2% 384,682
January
2021		 6.3% 7.7% 8.4% 395,667
December
2020		 6.7% 8.0% 8.5% 403,798
November
2020		 6.7% 8.1% 8.6% 402,717
October
2020		 6.9% 8.1% 8.6% 402,659
September
2020		 7.8% 10.4% 11.6% 556,438
August
2020		 8.4% 11.1% 12.1% 568,198
July
2020		 10.2% 12.0% 12.6% 584,974
June
2020		 11.1% 14.2% 14.9% 716,149

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩

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