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Illinois Economy

Unemployment was 4.6% in Sep 2026, the 41st lowest of 51 states. Personal income averages $74,522 per person.

Unemployment rate
4.6%
+0.1 pts in a year
Labor force
6,468,204
-1.3% in a year
Income per person
$74,522
BEA, 2024
Average annual pay
$80,038
QCEW, 2025

Unemployment rate in Illinois

Monthly, seasonally adjusted, compared with the U.S.

IllinoisUnited States
Show as a table
PeriodIllinois
Sep 20264.6%
Dec 20254.7%
Dec 20244.8%
Dec 20234.8%
Dec 20224.5%
Dec 20214.8%
Dec 20207.6%
Dec 20193.6%
Dec 20184.6%
Dec 20174.7%
Dec 20165.4%
Dec 20156.1%
Dec 20146.2%
Dec 20138.5%
Dec 20129.1%
Beta

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics ยท Last updated 09/01/2026

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Counties in Illinois

Unemployment (Sep 2026, not seasonally adjusted), income per person (BEA) and average pay (QCEW). Largest labor force first.

Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.

#CountyUnemployment1 yearLabor forceIncome per personAverage pay
1Cook County4.7%+0.4 pts2,707,866$79,964$90,477
2DuPage County3.8%+0.3 pts508,755$98,481$81,891
3Will County4.2%+0.3 pts380,503$70,456$62,418
4Lake County3.6%-0.8 pts365,784$103,546$92,733
5Kane County3.6%-0.8 pts270,480$69,927$65,029
6McHenry County3.8%+0.4 pts174,662$72,162$57,103
7Madison County3.4%-0.7 pts132,941$62,684$59,911
8Winnebago County4.5%-0.9 pts128,413$55,188$61,286
9St. Clair County3.8%-0.8 pts120,714$61,712$59,034
10Champaign County3.6%-0.6 pts110,798$59,853$65,778
11McLean County3.3%-0.6 pts92,333$66,091$68,708
12Sangamon County3.6%-0.9 pts91,562$63,581$72,668
13Peoria County4.2%-1.0 pts84,412$64,705$76,933
14Kendall County3.6%-0.6 pts76,044$63,048$53,553
15Rock Island County5.4%-0.1 pts66,893$54,067$72,612
16Tazewell County3.6%-0.8 pts63,830$62,652$57,455
17DeKalb County3.6%-0.8 pts52,345$55,006$59,423
18Kankakee County4.2%-1.2 pts49,774$55,091$58,435
19LaSalle County4.2%-1.0 pts49,191$57,510$60,975
20Macon County5.0%-0.8 pts43,739$61,375$68,764
21Adams County2.9%-0.6 pts33,144$62,377$56,401
22Williamson County3.6%-0.7 pts31,807$58,380$55,243
23Vermilion County4.5%-1.0 pts30,087$52,819$55,590
24Grundy County3.9%+0.2 pts28,499$63,824$71,627
25Whiteside County3.8%-0.8 pts26,778$57,536$54,349
All 102 counties, A to Z

Jobs and pay by industry in Illinois

Private employers, annual average 2025 (Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)

Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.

IndustryJobs1-year changeAverage pay
Health care and social assistance865,491+3.3%$66,133
Manufacturing569,734-1.5%$90,875
Retail trade568,588-0.5%$43,192
Accommodation and food services506,314+0.3%$31,541
Professional and technical services439,915-0.5%$131,207
Administrative and support services393,984-1.9%$62,547
Transportation and warehousing314,080+0.8%$70,166
Finance and insurance299,591+0.6%$166,968
Wholesale trade297,810-1.7%$109,865
Construction240,012+1.3%$93,904
Other services204,9670.0%$58,861
Educational services145,606+1.1%$68,530
Arts, entertainment and recreation99,564+3.1%$49,051
Information90,872-0.2%$157,142
Real estate and rental79,291-0.6%$93,740
Management of companies76,969-5.7%$157,629
Utilities25,457+0.9%$148,688
Agriculture, forestry and fishing19,676+1.0%$53,804
Mining, oil and gas6,797-3.6%$96,910

Government employs 822,556 people (13.6% of all jobs): 79,743 federal, 128,945 state and 613,868 local.

Output and businesses in Illinois

Bureau of Economic Analysis and Census Bureau

GDP
$1.1T
2024, current dollars
Real GDP growth
+1.6%
Adjusted for inflation
Employer businesses
322,415
5,661,761 employees
  • Professional and technical services37,94611.8%
  • Health care and social assistance37,59711.7%
  • Retail trade35,80111.1%
  • Other services32,69410.1%
  • Accommodation and food services30,2269.4%
  • Construction29,4579.1%
  • Transportation and warehousing20,5866.4%
  • Finance and insurance19,3106.0%
  • Administrative and support services16,9665.3%
  • Wholesale trade15,9615.0%

Source: BEA Regional Economic Accounts; Census County Business Patterns 2023

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Frequently asked questions

What is the unemployment rate in Illinois?
Illinois's unemployment rate was 4.6% in Sep 2026, seasonally adjusted, compared with 4.2% for the U.S.
Which county in Illinois has the highest unemployment?
Edwards County has the highest rate at 6.3%, and Jasper County has the lowest at 2.6% (not seasonally adjusted).
What is the largest industry in Illinois?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private employer with 865,491 jobs, followed by manufacturing (569,734) and retail trade (568,588).
What is the average salary in Illinois?
The average annual pay for jobs covered by unemployment insurance in Illinois was $80,038 in 2025, or $1,539 a week.
How big is Illinois's economy?
Illinois's GDP was $1.1T in 2024, about $90,330 per resident.