In March 2018, unemployment rates in Chicago hit their lowest levels since before the recession in 2008, a span of 11 years. For the overall population, unemployment dropped to 4.1 percent representing an increase of 110,000 workers since 2010. Unfortunately, not all populations of Chicago have benefited to the same degree. The unemployment rate for Hispanics for example was 8%, twice as high as the average. Black unemployment was 18 percent, the highest among ethnic groups. The map above illustrates a similar story by showing unemployment rates throughout Chicago per census blocks. The darker the shade in the map, the higher the unemployment.

This demonstrates that the South and West side neighborhoods of Chicago suffer from higher rates of unemployment where higher populations of Hispanic and African-American populations reside. While the drop in unemployment is good news, it will need to continue to improve if it is to serve those populations and regions of Chicago where unemployment is at its highest. Understanding where these areas exist can be used as a strategic tool to lower unemployment rates and eliminate the disparities that exists between various regions and populations in the Chicago area.

Text Source(s): Chicago Sun Times, Chicago CBS Local

Map Source: Chicago Data Portal
Data Presented: Unemployment rates in Chicago 2015