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Professional Sector Employment In Chicago Increases By 4.5% Year-Over-Year

While the latest report on the unemployment rate in the Windy City shows an increase, it's not all gloom and doom. If you are looking for a job in the Chicago-Joliet-Naperville metropolitan area, then you might want to consider taking a look at the financial activities sector and professional and business services sector.

According to the preliminary numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, both categories are among several sectors that saw increases in employment in the metropolitan area in June 2013 when compared with numbers posted one year prior.

For instance, employment in the professional and business services category increased 4.5 percent compared to June 2012. The category also increased 1.5 percent from May 2013.

The financial activities category also saw an increase in employment, and was up 2.5 percent in June 2013 when compared with the level reported one year ago. The category also saw an increase of 0.6 percent from May 2013.

In contrast, the preliminary overall unemployment rate for the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet metropolitan area was 10.3 percent in June 2013, representing an increase from the rate of 9.3 percent reported in May 2013. It was also an increase from the unemployment rate of 9.6 percent reported in June 2012. The unemployment rate was not seasonally adjusted.

The professional and business services sector includes disciplines like legal services, accounting, tax preparation, advertising and architectural and engineering services. Careers in this category can include business development managers, customer service representatives and business brokers.

Careers in the financial activities category include those in finance and insurance, as well as real estate, renting and leasing. The metropolitan area has seen an increase in banks coming to the area in the last year, including Talmer Bank and Trust and Federal Savings Bank.

According to the BLS, the Chicago-Joliet-Naperville metropolitan division consists of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, McHenry and Will counties.

Megan Horst-Hatch is a runner, reader, baker, gardener, knitter, and other words that end in "-er." She is also the president of Megan Writes, LLC. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

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