Oak View Group, the provider of management services at McCormick Place in Chicago, saw the loss of 203 jobs in April, according to state figures. The job losses stem from the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Board opting to take back management of McCormick Place, the largest convention center in North America. (Epstein Global photo)

Illinois lost more than 1,000 jobs in April.

Figures from the state’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity showed that 1,026 jobs were eliminated during April at businesses in the state.

The largest number of job losses was at Oak View Group, which is eliminating 203 jobs at McCormick Place in Chicago after losing the contract with the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Board, which oversees McCormick Place, the largest convention center in North America.

MPEA has changed gears, opting to take back management of McCormick Place after hiring OVG to run the facility in 2023. The contract with Oak View was scheduled to go through September 2028.

Oak View Group will continue to manage food and beverage operations at McCormick Place, as well as Wintrust Arena and Arie Crown Theater.

More than 370 of the job losses occurred in Cook County. In addition to the losses at Oak View, other job losses in Cook were:

• Acero Charter Schools Inc.: 76 jobs, with the closings of Octavio Paz Elementary School, 2651 W. 23^rd St. (18 jobs) and Sor Juana de la Cruz School , 7416 N. Ridge Blvd. (56 jobs) , both in Chicago
• PDS Industries Inc. and Weinstein Industries LLC of Forest Park: 65 jobs due to financial issues
• American Institute of Research in Chicago: 23 jobs
• Wheatland Tube of Chicago, 3 jobs due to a reorganization

Job losses in April in other Illinois counties were:

Madison

• Amsted Rail Co. in Granite City: 74 jobs, due to a business slowdown

DuPage

• Cardinal Logistics Management Corp. in Naperville, 43 jobs, due to a lost contract
• KSM Electronics in Warrenville, 85 jobs

St. Clair

• Hubbell Inc. In Freeburg: 110 jobs, due to consolidation

Kane

– TH Foods Inc. in Elgin: 33 jobs

Carroll

• Elkay Plumbing Products Co. in Savanna: 135 jobs due to consolidation
• International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. in Thomson, 49 jobs

LaSalle

• Starved Rock Wood Products LLC in Mendota, 65 jobs due to financial issues

Knox

– United Facilities of Galesburg, 62 jobs due to a lost contract