Counties with the highest unemployment in Illinois
Counties with the highest unemployment in Illinois
While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession. The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of September 2023, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—equal to the previous month, and up about 0.3 percentage points from the same time last year. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.6% in Maryland to 5.4% in Nevada.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Illinois using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in September 2023, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
#50. Madison County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 134,758 people (6,409 unemployed)
#49. Wayne County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,457 people (365 unemployed)
#48. Richland County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,547 people (372 unemployed)
#47. Williamson County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 31,650 people (1,542 unemployed)
#46. Cook County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2.6 million people (129,413 unemployed)
#45. Warren County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,099 people (402 unemployed)
#44. Coles County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 23,816 people (1,186 unemployed)
#43. Jackson County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,773 people (1,402 unemployed)
#42. McDonough County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,607 people (689 unemployed)
#41. Whiteside County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,470 people (1,448 unemployed)
#40. DeKalb County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 55,927 people (2,847 unemployed)
#39. Fulton County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,026 people (776 unemployed)
#38. Jefferson County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,621 people (880 unemployed)
#37. Kane County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 273,622 people (14,432 unemployed)
#36. Lake County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 372,067 people (19,563 unemployed)
#35. Marshall County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,280 people (285 unemployed)
#34. Massac County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,571 people (302 unemployed)
#33. Mason County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,220 people (337 unemployed)
#32. Montgomery County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,451 people (618 unemployed)
#31. St. Clair County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 126,591 people (6,793 unemployed)
#30. Union County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,330 people (402 unemployed)
#29. Logan County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,718 people (645 unemployed)
#28. Marion County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,983 people (935 unemployed)
#27. Ogle County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,509 people (1,352 unemployed)
#26. Saline County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,615 people (538 unemployed)
#25. Stephenson County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,141 people (1,186 unemployed)
#24. Stark County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,484 people (141 unemployed)
#23. Putnam County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,099 people (178 unemployed)
#22. Perry County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,955 people (456 unemployed)
#21. Hardin County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,573 people (92 unemployed)
#20. Christian County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,629 people (789 unemployed)
#19. Gallatin County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,098 people (124 unemployed)
#18. Edwards County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,459 people (144 unemployed)
#17. Clay County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,840 people (342 unemployed)
#16. Henry County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,460 people (1,439 unemployed)
#15. Franklin County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,143 people (962 unemployed)
#14. Peoria County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 83,985 people (5,013 unemployed)
#13. Lawrence County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,069 people (308 unemployed)
#12. LaSalle County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 53,118 people (3,234 unemployed)
#11. Knox County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,377 people (1,275 unemployed)
#10. Vermilion County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 33,462 people (2,118 unemployed)
#9. Kankakee County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 52,725 people (3,346 unemployed)
#8. Johnson County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,292 people (273 unemployed)
#7. Bureau County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,133 people (1,027 unemployed)
#6. Rock Island County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 69,341 people (4,440 unemployed)
#5. Macon County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 46,520 people (3,105 unemployed)
#4. Alexander County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,865 people (126 unemployed)
#3. Winnebago County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 134,536 people (9,197 unemployed)
#2. Boone County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,279 people (1,771 unemployed)
#1. Pulaski County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,746 people (146 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
