Chicago jobs record big year-over-year increases

Posted on June 5, 2011

Chicago jobs continue to increase year after year, according to recent stats from the BLS.

In April, 237 metropolitan areas reported over-the-year increases in nonfarm
payroll employment, 126 reported decreases, and 9 had no change. The largest
over-the-year employment increase was recorded in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington,
Texas (+83,100), followed by Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas (+51,100),
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill.-Ind.-Wis. (+37,100), and Los Angeles-Long
Beach-Santa Ana, Calif. (+36,200).

The largest over-the-year percentage gain
in employment was reported in Sandusky, Ohio (+13.8 percent), followed by
Elizabethtown, Ky. (+6.3 percent), Flagstaff, Ariz. (+5.2 percent), and Anderson,
S.C. (+5.1 percent).

The largest over-the-year decreases in employment occurred in Riverside-San
Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. (-16,400), Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville, Calif.
(-14,600), Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga. (-9,000), and Albuquerque, N.M.
(-6,300). The largest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment were
reported in Missoula, Mont. (-4.2 percent); Palm Coast, Fla., Pine Bluff, Ark.,
and Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, N.J. (-3.2 percent each); and Glens Falls, N.Y.
(-3.0 percent).

Over the year, nonfarm employment rose in 27 of the 36 metropolitan areas with
annual average employment levels above 750,000 in 2010. The largest over-the-year
percentage increases in employment in these large metropolitan areas were posted
in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas, and Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wis.
(+2.9 percent each), Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas (+2.0 percent), Austin-Round Rock-
San Marcos, Texas (+1.8 percent), and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Fla., and San Jose-
Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. (+1.5 percent each). The largest over-the-year percentage
decreases in employment occurred in Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville, Calif.
(-1.8 percent); Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. (-1.5 percent); and
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga., Baltimore-Towson, Md., and Indianapolis-Carmel,
Ind. (-0.4 percent each).

Many industries are increasing, including entry-level jobs in Chicago.