Chicago Market Snapshot
August 2022
Note: Most recent data available.
Throughout the Chicago area, businesses in sectors such as retail, manufacturing and hospitality report a shortage of job applicants. With a tight labor market spurring competition for front-line and entry level workers, the number of job postings has soared to record levels. Meanwhile, many area employers are boosting wages to attract and retain workers.
The unemployment rate for the Chicago metro area is 4.9%, significantly higher than the national 3.6%. While there have been more than 200,000 jobs added in the past year, wages in the Chicago metro area have stagnated. The average wage increase in the U.S. is 5.2%, compared with 3.8% for the Chicago metro area.
jobs Added
201,200
year over year
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
4.9%
up from 4.5% in July 2022
WAGE CHANGE
+3.8%
year over year
- Total nonfarm employment is up 4.4% YoY in the Chicago area.
- Leisure and hospitality had the largest gain (+60,200) among the metropolitan area’s private-industry supersectors. The 13.9% increase in the metropolitan area’s leisure and hospitality supersector compared to the 8.4% increase on a national level.
- The unemployment rate in the U.S. is 3.6%, compared to 4.9% in the Chicago area.
Chicago Jobs Breakdown
Q3 2022
Food Preparation Workers
- Unique Job Postings: 760
- Jobs Change: ↑ 18.6% from Q2
- Median Hourly Wage: $14.24
- Median Hourly Wage as Advertised: $15.82
FAST FOOD & COUNTER WORKERS
- Unique Job Postings: 6,076
- Jobs Change: ↑ 7.2% from Q2
- Median Hourly Wage: $12.52
- Median Hourly Wage as Advertised: $14.95
Cooks
- Unique Job Postings: 2,787
- Jobs Change: ↑ 6.1% from Q2
- Median Hourly Wage: $15.08
- Median Hourly Wage as Advertised: $18.03
INSPECTORS, TESTERS & SORTERS
- Unique Job Postings: 1,053
- Jobs Change: ↑ 4.5% from Q2
- Median Hourly Wage: $19.10
- Median Hourly Wage as Advertised: $19.53
VEHICLE & EQUIPMENT CLEANERS
- Unique Job Postings: 410
- Jobs Change: ↑ 4.9% from Q2
- Median Hourly Wage: $14.22
- Median Hourly Wage as Advertised: $16.06
JANITORS & CLEANERS
- Unique Job Postings: 3,187
- Jobs Change: ↑ 2.8% from Q2
- Median Hourly Wage: $15.12
- Median Hourly Wage as Advertised: $16.06
About PeopleReady
PeopleReady connects people with work throughout the Chicago and rural Illinois markets. We put a Workforce Within Reach™ across a variety of industries, including hospitality, retail, manufacturing, construction and more. If you’re struggling to find workers in this competitive market, call us at 630.725.1618 to find staffing solutions now.
SOURCES
- U.S. BLS, Local Area Unemployment Statistics
- Emsi, October 3, 2022
