Major Sector : Manufacturing

As the fourth largest industrial state, value-added manufacturing in Illinois totals $103.7 billion. With an estimated 709,882 manufacturing jobs in Illinois, 14,900 manufacturers operate an estimated 15,750 plants in Illinois.

Key industries in Illinois within the manufacturing sector include machinery, food, chemicals, electronics, and transportation. Specifically,the metalworking and machine tools industry prove key to both Illinois’ and the nation’s growth. Concentrated in Rockford and the Chicago area, this industry produces 9% of the total U.S. output.

Some of the largest Machine Tool Companies reside in Illinois, including Illinois Tool Works, Robert Bosch Tool Corporation, and Triumph Twist Drill and Textron Inc.

Employment:

During the month of December (for which the most recent data is available), regional and state unemployment rates were slightly lower than previous months. Most notably, the Midwest and Northeast reported the lowest rates, compared to other regions of the U.S., at 7.9% each.

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumer (CPI-U) in the Chicago-Gary-Kenosha area rose 0.6 percent in January 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over the last 12 months, the Chicago area all items CPI-U increased 2.1 percent.

Sources: Office of Trade and Investment, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics