SPRINGFIELD - How is Illinois' job market doing? Unemployment is up and government - yes, government - created the most job growth over the last month, the Illinois Department of Employment Security announced Thursday.
In December, Government gained 6,300 jobs, Leisure and Hospitality 4,600 and Trade, Transportation and Utilities 2,800. The industry sectors with payroll declines included Information (-1,000) Financial Activities (-700) and Construction (-600).
“It’s clear there is room to both grow the Illinois economy and create opportunity for working families,” said Governor J.B. Pritzker's new Deputy Governor Dan Hynes.
“That’s why Governor Pritzker has taken action in his first days in office to protect and raise the wages of Illinois workers and strengthen workforce development training in growing industries. The governor looks forward to continuing to work with stakeholders, business leaders, and workers to create jobs statewide and ensure all of our communities can thrive.”
The new governor will have his hands full - as job creation is a crucial factor in a state's financial health.
The state’s unemployment rate is +0.4 percentage points higher than the national unemployment rate reported for December 2018, which rose to 3.9 percent. The Illinois unemployment rate is down -0.6 percentage points from a year ago when it was 4.9 percent.
Over the past year, jobs in the government sector grew by 24,700 - much more than the following two industries - Education and Health Services (+11,200) and Leisure and Hospitality (+10,200). The industry sectors with over-the-year declines were: Information (-3,900) and Other Services (-300).
The IDES chart for December 2018 stats:
