Department of Numbers

Rockford, Illinois Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Rockford fell 0.2 percentage points in February 2021 to 9.8%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 2.4 percentage points higher than the Illinois rate. The unemployment rate in Rockford peaked in April 2020 at 23.7% and is now 13.9 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 7.4% in October 2020, the unemployment rate has now grown by 2.4 percentage points. You can also compare Rockford unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 6.2% -0.1 +2.7
Illinois 7.4% -0.3 +3.8
Rockford 9.8% -0.2 +4.2
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with February 2021 data as March 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 37,771. There are now 22,320 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 11,755 in December 2020, the number of unemployed has now grown by 3,696. Rockford employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Rockford, Illinois) is also available.

Unemployed Persons February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Rockford 15,451 -493 +6,273

Number of Unemployed Persons

Rockford, Illinois Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Illinois
Unemployment Rate		 Rockford
Unemployment Rate		 Rockford
Unemployed
March
2021		 6.0% — — —
February
2021		 6.2% 7.4% 9.8% 15,451
January
2021		 6.3% 7.7% 10.0% 15,944
December
2020		 6.7% 8.0% 7.5% 11,755
November
2020		 6.7% 8.1% 7.7% 12,043
October
2020		 6.9% 8.1% 7.4% 12,231
September
2020		 7.8% 10.4% 10.6% 17,313
August
2020		 8.4% 11.1% 11.7% 19,279
July
2020		 10.2% 12.0% 14.3% 23,100
June
2020		 11.1% 14.2% 16.6% 27,579
May
2020		 13.3% 15.4% 20.7% 33,689
April
2020		 14.8% 16.5% 23.7% 37,771

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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