Data relating to employment, labor force, and unemployment rate reflect the Rockford Region MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area), this includes Boone and Winnebago Counties. Unemployment rate and related data is reported by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES).
Unemployment Rate
| Current Month | Month Over Month | Year Over Year | Illinois | National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.3% November 2018 | 5.2% October 2018 | 4.8% November 2017 | 4.2% November 2018 | 3.7% November 2018 |
Source: Illinois Department of Employment Security. Not seasonally adjusted.
Labor Force and Employment
| Current Month | Previous Month | Previous Year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Force | 172,272 November 2018 | 168,926 October 2018 | 164,226 November 2017 |
| Employed | 156,322 November 2018 | 160,155 October 2018 | 156,298 November 2017 |
| Unemployed | 15,950 November 2018 | 8,771 October 2018 | 7,928 November 2017 |
Source: Illinois Department of Employment Security. Not seasonally adjusted.
Largest Employers in the Rockford MSA
Below are the major public and private employers in Boone and Winnebago counties (updated May 2018).Company Industry Number of Employees Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Automotive 5,152 Mercyhealth Healthcare 4,000 Rockford Public Schools Education 3,713 SwedishAmerican Health System Healthcare 3,359 OSF Healthcare Healthcare 2,800 UPS Parcel Sorting Hub 2,379 Rockwell Collins (formerly UTC Aerospace Systems) Aerospace Manufacturing 2,200 Woodward Aerospace Manufacturing 1,900 PCI - Packaging Coordinators Inc Pharmaceutical Packaging 1,800 Wal-Mart Stores Retail 1,471 Winnebago County Government 1,292 Harlem Consolidated Schools Education 1,100 City of Rockford Government 1,088 Lowe's Distribution Center, Retail 900 Belvidere Community Schools Education 870 Mondelez International Chewing Gum 850 Magna Automotive Parts Manufacturing 816 General Mills/Green Giant Cereal/Snack Bars 675 Taylor Company Ice Cream Machines 671 Syncreon Automotive Supplier 600 Alorica Telemarketing 563
