Gasoline prices averaged $2.638 per gallon in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area in December 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that area gasoline prices were up 32.9 cents compared to December 2018 when they averaged $2.309 per gallon. Chicago area households paid an average of 14.1 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in December 2019, less than the 15.6 cents in December 2018. In December, the average cost of utility (piped) gas was 76.0 cents per therm, less than its average price of 87.6 cents per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis isused throughout.)

The $2.638 per gallon Chicago households paid for gasoline in December 2019 was similar to the nationwide average of $2.652. Excluding December 2015, when average gasoline costs in Chicago were comparable to the national average, in the previous four years (2015-2018) in December, Chicago gasoline prices have ranged from 17.0 cents less (2018) to 16.9 cents more (2017) than national average gasoline

Gasoline prices averaged $2.638 per gallon in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area in December 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today

Technical Note

Definitions. Employment data refer to persons on establishment payrolls who receive pay for any part of the pay period which includes the 12th of the month. Persons are counted at their place of work rather than at their place of residence; those appearing on more than one payroll are counted on each payroll. Industries are classified on the basis of their principal activity in accordance with the 2017 version of the North American Industry Classification System.

Method of estimation. CES State and Area employment data are produced using several estimation procedures. Where possible these data are produced using a "weighted link relative" estimation technique in which a ratio of current-month weighted employment to that of the previous-month weighted employment is computed from a sample of establishments reporting for both months. The estimates of employment for the current month are then obtained by multiplying these ratios by the previous month's employment estimates. The weighted link relative technique is utilized for data series where the sample size meets certain statistical criteria.

Table 1. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, Philadelphia metropolitan area and its components, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)

Area	Back data	Nov 2018	Sep 2019	Oct 2019	Nov 2019	Nov 2018 to Nov 2019
						Net change	Percent change
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md. Metropolitan Statistical Area
Total nonfarm		2,982.3	2,985.6	3,002.6	(p)3,011.3	(p)29.0	(p)1.0
Mining, logging, and construction		122.1	126.9	127.0	(p)123.4	(p)1.3	(p)1.1
Manufacturing		182.1	181.7	181.5	(p)181.8	(p)-0.3	(p)-0.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities		535.7	520.1	525.5	(p)536.2	(p)0.5	(p)0.1
Information		48.6	48.3	48.4	(p)48.6	(p)0.0	(p)0.0
Financial activities		216.6	219.2	220.2	(p)220.5	(p)3.9	(p)1.8
Professional and business services		471.6	477.9	478.1	(p)480.7	(p)9.1	(p)1.9
Education and health services		670.8	667.8	675.4	(p)678.4	(p)7.6	(p)1.1
Leisure and hospitality		267.9	281.1	278.6	(p)273.1	(p)5.2	(p)1.9
Other services		121.8	123.3	123.0	(p)121.8	(p)0.0	(p)0.0
Government		345.1	339.3	344.9	(p)346.8	(p)1.7	(p)0.5