Illinois posted job growth of 19,600 in February, with bigger payrolls in 10 of 14 Illinois-based metropolitan areas.

Illinois is still missing 77,000 jobs from its restaurants, bars, hotels and other leisure industries since COVID-19 shutdowns. That Illinois jobs sector has recovered only 72% of what it lost in the pandemic – one of the nation’s worst recoveries.

Illinois’ employment recovery continued in February, but the state is still missing 21% of the jobs it lost in early 2020

Illinois’ record population decline affeced nearly all counties in 2021.

Illinois’ record population decline affected virtually all of the state’s largest cities.

Bloomington is the only metro area to recover jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic and statewide mandated shutdowns. Illinois is still missing 200,100 jobs as of January 2020.

Illinois’ employment recovery continued in January, but the state remains far from a full recovery and still lags the nation.

Employment in nearly all of Illinois’ major industries are still lagging other states two years after the initial COVID-19 shutdowns rocked the economy.