Counties with the highest unemployment in Illinois
In November, the national unemployment rate changed very little from October, rising from 4.1% to 4.2%. It's been slightly elevated in recent months compared to levels a year ago—likely a symptom of the Federal Reserve's higher interest rates, which can slow hiring and decrease job openings. It's up from 3.7% the year before, but for comparison, unemployment rates surged to 10% in October 2009 during the Great Recession, and a full recovery took years. At the height of the brief COVID-19 recession in April 2020, unemployment hit 14.7%.
To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, 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 October 2024, 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.
Despite the slight uptick in unemployment, the labor market added 227,000 jobs in November, according to the BLS.
In the private sector, employment increased by 146,000 jobs, with 50,000 jobs added in education and health services and another 28,000 jobs in trade, transportation, and utilities, according to ADP's National Employment Report. While Sun Belt states saw growth in manufacturing roles, other jobs diminished in the sector across the Rust Belt, which continues to see losses.
The labor market forecast for 2025 is still somewhat uncertain. The reelection of Donald Trump and his proposal to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico may send ripples throughout the economy. A tariff increase could create an inflationary environment, shifting the labor market as inflation inches toward the 2% goal.
To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Illinois.
#25. Fulton County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,499 people (721 unemployed)
#24. LaSalle County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 51,051 people (2,577 unemployed)
#23. Clay County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,705 people (290 unemployed)
#22. Logan County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 11,077 people (564 unemployed)
#21. Bureau County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,408 people (799 unemployed)
#20. Boone County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,569 people (1,279 unemployed)
#19. Hardin County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,474 people (78 unemployed)
#18. Johnson County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,221 people (224 unemployed)
#17. Knox County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,203 people (1,067 unemployed)
#16. Will County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 378,369 people (20,185 unemployed)
#15. Perry County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,650 people (412 unemployed)
#14. Franklin County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 15,992 people (859 unemployed)
#13. Grundy County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,910 people (1,455 unemployed)
#12. Kankakee County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 51,942 people (2,782 unemployed)
#11. Winnebago County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 131,736 people (7,084 unemployed)
#10. Mercer County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,476 people (409 unemployed)
#9. Henry County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 23,487 people (1,336 unemployed)
#8. Peoria County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 81,823 people (4,646 unemployed)
#7. Macon County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 44,844 people (2,619 unemployed)
#6. Cook County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2.7 million people (159,796 unemployed)
#5. Alexander County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,836 people (108 unemployed)
#4. Lawrence County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 3.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,951 people (291 unemployed)
#3. Vermilion County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 31,865 people (1,971 unemployed)
#2. Rock Island County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 67,603 people (4,516 unemployed)
#1. Pulaski County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,632 people (125 unemployed)
This story features data reporting and writing by Dom DiFurio and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
