Department of Numbers

Rockford, Illinois Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Rockford fell 0.3 percentage points in January 2023 to 6.0%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 1.5 percentage points higher than the Illinois rate. The unemployment rate in Rockford peaked in April 2020 at 21.7% and is now 15.7 percentage points lower. You can also compare Rockford unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate January 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.4% -0.1 -0.6
Illinois 4.5% -0.1 -0.3
Rockford 6.0% -0.3 -1.3
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with January 2023 data as February metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Rockford, Illinois, National

Rockford, Illinois monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Rockford, Illinois Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Rockford peaked in April 2020 at 33,871. There are now 24,395 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Rockford employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Rockford, Illinois) is also available.

Unemployed Persons January 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Rockford 9,476 -655 -2,282

Number of Unemployed Persons

Rockford, Illinois Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Illinois
Unemployment Rate		 Rockford
Unemployment Rate		 Rockford
Unemployed
February
2023		 3.6% — — —
January
2023		 3.4% 4.5% 6.0% 9,476
December
2022		 3.5% 4.6% 6.3% 10,131
November
2022		 3.6% 4.6% 6.6% 10,641
October
2022		 3.7% 4.6% 6.8% 10,941
September
2022		 3.5% 4.6% 7.0% 11,261
August
2022		 3.7% 4.5% 7.2% 11,687
July
2022		 3.5% 4.4% 7.4% 11,910
June
2022		 3.6% 4.4% 7.6% 12,288
May
2022		 3.6% 4.4% 7.8% 12,564
April
2022		 3.6% 4.5% 7.5% 12,050
March
2022		 3.6% 4.5% 7.3% 11,795

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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