Springfield, Ill. (WCIA) – Most states depend on employment to function and progress. The state of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has been pushing for more job training and development programs after investing $13 million to boost the workforce in healthcare to manufacturing in 2023.

Now the state has reached a new milestone. The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced that it reached an all-time high in employment. More people are working, which is good news for Illinoisans and companies.

Last month, the state saw more than 140,000 new jobs added in schools, hospitals, stores, factories, and offices. That means 6,172,300 jobs were available, beating the previous record which was 6,161,000 in December 2024.

Deputy Governor Andy Manar said this shows the impact of committing to creating jobs in the state.

“Working and doing business in Illinois pays off,” Manar said. “The new high in job growth underscores the resolve of our state labor force. Today’s data is a marked bright spot for the Illinois labor market, its workers, and employers.”

In recent months, the government sector saw the highest boost in jobs, with 4,500 positions, followed by transportation and healthcare. However, IT and financial sector jobs saw a decrease in payrolls.

Unemployment is still present, even with the good news. However, the unemployment rate remains the same with around 300,000 people without jobs. The same 4.8 percent rate since February.

Illinois’s unemployment rate has remained 4.8 percent since February, slower compared to the national 4.2 percent rate. However the new record shows steady improvement in the job market for the state.