Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, Illinois Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Chicago fell 0.4 percentage points in March 2018 to 4.3%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.3 percentage points lower than the Illinois rate. The unemployment rate in Chicago peaked in January 2010 at 11.4% and is now 7.1 percentage points lower. You can also compare Chicago unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate	March 2018	Month/Month	Year/Year
National	4.1%	0.0	-0.4
Illinois	4.6%	-0.1	-0.4
Chicago	4.3%	-0.4	-0.5

Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.¹ All comparisons are made with March 2018 data as April 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 February 2010 at 558,996. There are now 349,392 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Chicago employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Chicago, Illinois) is also available.

Unemployed Persons	March 2018	Month/Month	Year/Year
Chicago	209,604	-23,082	-25,270

Number of Unemployed Persons

Chicago, Illinois Unemployment History

Date	National Unemployment Rate	Illinois Unemployment Rate	Chicago Unemployment Rate	Chicago Unemployed
April 2018	3.9%	—	—	—
March 2018	4.1%	4.6%	4.3%	209,604
February 2018	4.1%	4.7%	4.7%	232,686
January 2018	4.1%	4.8%	4.9%	238,520
December 2017	4.1%	4.9%	5.0%	244,526
November 2017	4.1%	4.9%	5.0%	245,021
October 2017	4.1%	4.9%	5.0%	244,877
September 2017	4.2%	5.0%	5.1%	249,098
August 2017	4.4%	5.0%	5.1%	249,197
July 2017	4.3%	5.0%	4.9%	239,948
June 2017	4.3%	4.9%	4.8%	234,097
May 2017	4.3%	4.9%	4.8%	235,186