This indicator tracks unemployment rates for the population age 16 years and over in the Chicago metropolitan statistical area by race and ethnicity. Unemployed residents are not currently well connected to opportunities provided by the region’s economy, and—as a result—a substantial portion of the region’s human capital is untapped. Creating pathways for unemployed workers to fully contribute to and benefit from the regional economy will help it grow to individual and regional benefit.
Note about 2020 data: Due to data quality concerns arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Census Bureau will not publish 1-year ACS summary tables for 2020. To obtain a 2020 estimate, CMAP instead used the 2020 ACS 1-Year Public Use Microdata Sample with Experimental Weights. Since this data is only available for Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs), the 2020 estimate represents the closest possible approximation of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA): the Illinois and Wisconsin portions are accurately represented, but the Indiana counties of Jasper and Newton were omitted because they share a PUMA with the slightly more populous counties of Fulton, Pulaski and Starke, which are not part of the MSA.
| Header | Definition |
|---|---|
YEAR |
Year of observation |
PCT_UNEMPLOYED_ALL |
Unemployment rate among the overall population |
PCT_UNEMPLOYED_BLACK |
Unemployment rate among the Black population |
PCT_UNEMPLOYED_ASIAN |
Unemployment rate among the Asian population |
PCT_UNEMPLOYED_HISPANIC |
Unemployment rate among the Hispanic/Latino population |
PCT_UNEMPLOYED_WHITE |
Unemployment rate among the White (non-Hispanic) population |
ACTUAL_OR_TARGET |
Actual if the record is from observed data; Target if it is an ON TO 2050 target |
Source: The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS)
Geography: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area