Total nonfarm jobs increased in ten metropolitan areas, and decreased in four the year ending November 2023, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Unemployment numbers were also released for the state with focuses on the Springfield, Decatur, and Central Illinois regions. 

Unemployment fell slightly in the Springfield MSA to 3.5% which a -0.1% decrease from last year. In the Decatur area, the not-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased +0.3 percentage points to 5.1% in November 2023 from 4.8% in November 2022. There were an estimated 2,335 unemployed people in the labor force in November 2023.  The number of total nonfarm jobs in the Decatur metro area decreased by -700 compared to last November.  Employment only increased in the construction mining sector up 100 jobs. 

In Springfield, the not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased a -0.1% to 3.5% in November 2023 from 3.6% in November 2022.  There were an estimated 3,718 unemployed people in the labor force in November 2023. Nonfarm jobs increased by 1,700 compared to a year ago. Payrolls also increased in Government, retail trade, leisure-hospitality, and other services.  Payroll decreased in professional business services, educational-health services, information, mining-construction, transportation-warehousing-utilities, financial activities, and manufacturing.

Christian County saw a .1% increase in unemployment from 4.1% to 4.2%.  Shelby saw a .2% increase from 3.7% to 3.9%.  Montgomery County also saw a .2% increase from 4.4% to 4.6% in unemployment. Finally, Macoupin County saw a .3% increase from 3.4% to 3.7%.  Scott County saw the largest decrease down .6%. Decatur saw the largest increase at .5%.