Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, Illinois Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Chicago fell 0.1 percentage points in January 2020 to 3.6%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.1 percentage points higher than the Illinois rate. The unemployment rate in Chicago peaked in January 2010 at 11.4% and is now 7.8 percentage points lower. You can also compare Chicago unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate	January 2020	Month/Month	Year/Year
National	3.6%	+0.1	-0.4
Illinois	3.5%	-0.2	-0.9
Chicago	3.6%	-0.1	-0.5

Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.¹ All comparisons are made with January 2020 data as February 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 556,209. There are now 381,804 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Chicago employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Chicago, Illinois) is also available.

Unemployed Persons	January 2020	Month/Month	Year/Year
Chicago	174,405	-5,215	-23,718

Number of Unemployed Persons

Chicago, Illinois Unemployment History

Date	National Unemployment Rate	Illinois Unemployment Rate	Chicago Unemployment Rate	Chicago Unemployed
February 2020	3.5%	—	—	—
January 2020	3.6%	3.5%	3.6%	174,405
December 2019	3.5%	3.7%	3.7%	179,620
November 2019	3.5%	3.7%	3.7%	183,031
October 2019	3.6%	3.7%	3.7%	183,141
September 2019	3.5%	3.7%	3.7%	181,869
August 2019	3.7%	3.8%	3.7%	182,625
July 2019	3.7%	3.9%	3.8%	185,824
June 2019	3.7%	4.0%	3.8%	187,931
May 2019	3.6%	4.1%	3.9%	192,943
April 2019	3.6%	4.2%	4.0%	196,256
March 2019	3.8%	4.3%	4.0%	196,841