By Nicole Klem
This interactive map depicts the unemployment rates in Chicago Community Areas from 2020 to 2024. Some areas on the map lacked data on unemployment rates.
According to the Chicago Health Atlas, the neighborhood with the highest unemployment is the South Side neighborhood of Riverdale. The area is one of the South’s most underserved neighborhoods with a 30.11% unemployment rate.
With only 7,229 residents in the period from 2020 to 2024, Riverdale was one of the least populated neighborhoods, but almost one-third of residents are unemployed.
The neighborhood with the lowest unemployment rate among Chicago’s community areas was the Near North Side. Even with a population of 97,789, making it one of Chicago’s most populated community areas, the neighborhood only has a 3.34% unemployment rate.
These patterns hold across many of Chicago’s community areas, with neighborhoods on the Northside having higher populations and lower unemployment rates. South and West-side neighborhoods often have lower populations but much higher unemployment rates.
Neighborhoods in Chicago’s South and West sides have been historically and systematically segregated and have lacked job access. According to Crain’s Chicago Business, the main offices of four of the largest employers of Chicagoland residents are located in Chicago’s Loop. This is an accessible location for North Side residents. However, the poor infrastructure and lack of public transportation make it difficult for South and West Side residents to maintain those positions.