The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) has announced that nonfarm payrolls increased +8,800 while the unemployment rate fell – 0.1 percentage point to 5.2 percent in December.  The information is based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and released by IDES.

The number of unemployed workers was 340,000, down -1.7% from the prior month, and up +11.8 percent over the same month one year ago. The labor force was up +0.1 percent over-the-month, and up +1.2 percent over-the-year. Compared to a year ago, total nonfarm payroll jobs increased by +56,000 jobs.

In December, the industry sectors with the largest over-the-month job increase included: Financial Activities (+2,900), Private Education and Health Services (+2,600), and Government (+2,000). The industry sectors with monthly payroll job decreases included: Professional and Business Services (-2,100) and other Services (-1,000).

IDES helps connect Illinois jobseekers to employers who are hiring in a number of ways, including hosting and co-hosting job fairs and hiring events with the statewide workforce partners, and through maintaining Illinois Job Link (IJL).