Which metro areas in Illinois are adding jobs fastest?
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL (+5.5%), Paducah, KY-IL (+5.0%) and Champaign-Urbana, IL (+4.4%) added private-sector jobs fastest among Illinois metro areas between 2018 and 2023.
Data as of 2023 · updated
All 9 ranked Illinois metro areas
| Rank | Metro area | Change 2018–23 | Jobs added | Private jobs 2023 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | +5.5% | +2,184 | 41,675 | 99,215 |
| 2 | Paducah, KY-IL | +5.0% | +1,963 | 41,520 | 102,259 |
| 3 | Champaign-Urbana, IL | +4.4% | +3,343 | 80,065 | 239,979 |
| 4 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | +2.4% | +99,942 | 4,285,971 | 9,434,123 |
| 5 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | +1.9% | +3,050 | 166,095 | 380,452 |
| 6 | St. Louis, MO-IL | +0.7% | +9,406 | 1,263,674 | 2,814,421 |
| 7 | Peoria, IL | −1.6% | −2,652 | 159,361 | 363,505 |
| 8 | Rockford, IL | −3.0% | −4,101 | 132,564 | 337,242 |
| 9 | Springfield, IL | −4.6% | −3,922 | 81,221 | 206,033 |
How this is ranked
The change in paid employees of private employers in mid-March between 2018 and 2023 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns). Government jobs and the self-employed are not counted. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built.
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Questions
Which metro area in Illinois has the fastest job growth?
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL: +5.5%, ahead of Paducah, KY-IL (+5.0%) and Champaign-Urbana, IL (+4.4%), of 9 Illinois metro areas ranked.
How is this ranking calculated?
The change in paid employees of private employers in mid-March between 2018 and 2023 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns). Government jobs and the self-employed are not counted. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.