The Quad Cities added more jobs in 2023 and saw only a slight increase in unemployment claims, according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES).Total nonfarm jobs rose in eight metropolitan areas and fell in five, remaining unchanged in one place. In the Davenport/Moline/Rock Island MSA, there were 185,300 nonfarm jobs, an increase of 1,000 jobs from the previous year. The Deputy Governor, Andy Manar, expressed his contentment with the positive economic trends in Illinois and expressed IDES’s commitment to maintaining a vibrant workforce ecosystem.

The metro areas with the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Danville MSA and the Springfield MSA, while the metros with the largest decreases were the Kankakee MSA and the Decatur MSA. No change occurred in nonfarm jobs in the Peoria MSA. Industries that saw job growth in most metro areas include: Education and Health Services, Leisure and Hospitality and Government, Mining and Construction, and Other Services.

The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate increases were the Rockford MSA, the Decatur MSA, and the Kankakee MSA. Unemployment levels dropped in the Chicago Metro. The unemployment rate in the Davenport/Moline/Rock Island MSA was 3.9%, a slight increase from the previous year’s 3.6%. On a statewide level, Illinois’ unemployment rose marginally from 4% in December 2022 to 4.2% in December 2023. For more details including labor market information and ways to apply for unemployment, visitors were directed to the IDES website.