Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.
As of October of this year, national unemployment is at 3.7%, 0.2% higher than in September. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2.0% in Minnesota, to 4.5% in Illinois and 4.7% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.
To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in Illinois using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in September 2022.
#50. Clark County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 7,267 (267 unemployed)
#49. McDonough County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 13,193 (486 unemployed)
Kepper66 // Wikimedia Commons
3 / 50#48. Bureau County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 16,293 (620 unemployed)
Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons
4 / 50#47. Cass County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 5,636 (213 unemployed)
Katherine Johnson from Springfield, IL // Wikimedia Commons
5 / 50#46. Logan County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 11,743 (446 unemployed)
#45. Jackson County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 27,493 (1,081 unemployed)
Larry D. Moore // Wikimedia Commons
7 / 50#44. Sangamon County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 99,221 (3,864 unemployed)
#43. Stark County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 2,410 (93 unemployed)
Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons
9 / 50#42. White County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 6,055 (236 unemployed)
Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons
10 / 50#41. Clay County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 5,813 (231 unemployed)
#40. DeKalb County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 54,102 (2,162 unemployed)
ProfDEH // Wikimedia Commons
12 / 50#39. Marshall County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 5,162 (208 unemployed)
Farragutful // Wikimedia Commons
13 / 50#38. Rock Island County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 68,976 (2,729 unemployed)
#37. Williamson County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 31,413 (1,243 unemployed)
Bubba73 (Jud McCranie) // Wikimedia Commons
15 / 50#36. Coles County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 23,008 (951 unemployed)
#35. Grundy County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 25,794 (1,059 unemployed)
#34. Kane County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 264,504 (10,805 unemployed)
Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons
18 / 50#33. Putnam County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 2,919 (120 unemployed)
#32. Edwards County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 2,473 (104 unemployed)
#31. Mason County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 5,892 (250 unemployed)
#30. Stephenson County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 20,781 (869 unemployed)
#29. Union County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 7,298 (309 unemployed)
Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois // Wikimedia Commons
23 / 50#28. Will County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 362,844 (15,248 unemployed)
#27. Fulton County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 14,404 (623 unemployed)
A. McMurray (A mcmurray) // Wikimedia Commons
25 / 50#26. Ogle County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 23,690 (1,012 unemployed)
#25. Christian County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 13,267 (578 unemployed)
#24. Montgomery County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 11,276 (492 unemployed)
Xing979 // Wikimedia Commons
28 / 50#23. St. Clair County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 123,386 (5,446 unemployed)
Teemu08 // Wikimedia Commons
29 / 50#22. LaSalle County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 52,357 (2,373 unemployed)
Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons
30 / 50#21. Marion County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 16,469 (740 unemployed)
Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons
31 / 50#20. Perry County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 8,006 (360 unemployed)
Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons
32 / 50#19. Pope County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: +0.4%
- Total labor force: 1,706 (76 unemployed)
#18. Jefferson County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 16,214 (746 unemployed)
Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons
34 / 50#17. Massac County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 5,335 (248 unemployed)
#16. Lawrence County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 5,502 (260 unemployed)
Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons
36 / 50#15. Johnson County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 4,167 (209 unemployed)
#14. Knox County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 20,292 (1,006 unemployed)
Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons
38 / 50#13. Vermilion County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 31,675 (1,578 unemployed)
#12. Cook County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 2,637,420 (135,757 unemployed)
Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons
40 / 50#11. Franklin County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 15,753 (809 unemployed)
#10. Gallatin County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 2,015 (102 unemployed)
MrHarman // Wikimedia Commons
42 / 50#9. Kankakee County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 52,723 (2,709 unemployed)
#8. Saline County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 9,138 (465 unemployed)
Daniel Schwen // Wikimedia Commons
44 / 50#7. Hardin County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 1,334 (69 unemployed)
#6. Peoria County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 82,913 (4,341 unemployed)
Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois // Wikimedia Commons
46 / 50#5. Boone County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.6%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.7%
- Total labor force: 25,141 (1,414 unemployed)
Archedamian // Wikimedia Commons
47 / 50#4. Macon County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 46,799 (2,674 unemployed)
Alexbaumgarner // Wikimedia
48 / 50#3. Winnebago County
- Current unemployment rate: 6.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.8%
- Total labor force: 134,714 (8,097 unemployed)
Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons
49 / 50#2. Alexander County
- Current unemployment rate: 6.9%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 1,801 (125 unemployed)
Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons
50 / 50#1. Pulaski County
- Current unemployment rate: 7.0%
--- 1 month change: -1.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 1,717 (121 unemployed)
