Midwest region · state data

Illinois unemployment rate and jobs

Illinois's unemployment rate was 4.6% in Sep 2026, 0.4 percentage points above the U.S. rate of 4.2%. That was up from 4.5% a year earlier.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics and Current Employment Statistics) via FRED®. Monthly data, seasonally adjusted. Latest observation Sep 2026; snapshot taken Oct 27, 2026, 2:15 AM EDT.

Unemployment rate (Sep 2026)

4.6%

U.S. rate, same month

4.2%

Difference from U.S.

+0.4 pt

A year earlier

4.5%

Rank (1 = lowest rate)

40th of 51

Nonfarm jobs (Sep 2026)

6.16 million

Job growth, 12 months

+0.2%

Record low rate

3.6% (Dec 2019)

Unemployment rate: Illinois vs. the U.S.

4.6% Sep 2026 · Percent

Illinois unemployment rate U.S. unemployment rate

Percent of the labor force, seasonally adjusted. Illinois data from Jan 1976 to Sep 2026; the dashed line is the national rate (UNRATE).

How Illinois compares

In Sep 2026, Illinois had the 11th highest rate of the 51 states and DC (tied with Delaware). Across the 12 states in the Midwest region, the simple average was 3.5%, so Illinois was 1.1 points above it.

Since the state series began in 1976, Illinois's rate has ranged from a low of 3.6% in Dec 2019 to a high of 18.3% in Apr 2020. Just before the pandemic, in February 2020, it was 3.8%, 0.8 points lower than now. Over the last 12 months the rate averaged 4.9% and was above the national rate in 12 of them.

Jobs in Illinois

Employers in Illinois reported 6.16 million nonfarm payroll jobs in Sep 2026, seasonally adjusted. That is 13,800 more than a year earlier (+0.2%), compared with +0.3% for the nation as a whole. Its 12-month job growth rate ranked 34th of 51. The record high was 6.18 million in Jul 2026. Compared with February 2020, payrolls are up 0.4%.

6,164.5K Sep 2026 · Thousands of persons

Total nonfarm payroll jobs, thousands, seasonally adjusted, from the BLS survey of employers. Data from Jan 1990.

Last 12 months in Illinois
Month	Unemployment rate	U.S. rate	Nonfarm jobs	Monthly job change
Sep 2026	4.6%	4.2%	6.16 million	-7,200
Aug 2026	4.7%	4.1%	6.17 million	-8,300
Jul 2026	4.9%	4.1%	6.18 million	+15,300
Jun 2026	5.1%	4.2%	6.16 million	+1,800
May 2026	5.1%	4.3%	6.16 million	+4,100
Apr 2026	5.1%	4.3%	6.16 million	+11,400
Mar 2026	5.1%	4.3%	6.15 million	+10,300
Feb 2026	5.0%	4.4%	6.14 million	-17,900
Jan 2026	4.9%	4.3%	6.16 million	+6,200
Dec 2025	4.7%	4.4%	6.15 million	+11,600
Nov 2025	4.7%	4.5%	6.14 million	-13,500
Sep 2025	4.5%	4.4%	6.15 million	-9,900

Record high unemployment rate: 18.3% (Apr 2020). Monthly figures are revised each year when BLS benchmarks the state data.

States with similar unemployment rates

Minnesota · 4.5%Delaware · 4.6%Kentucky · 4.7%New Mexico · 4.7%

Other Midwest states

Indiana Iowa Kansas Michigan Minnesota Missouri Nebraska North Dakota Ohio South Dakota Wisconsin All 50 states and DC U.S. unemployment rate

This page shows public labor market data for general information. It is not financial or career advice and does not predict future values.

Sources

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Unemployment Rate in Illinois [ILUR], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/ILUR, Oct 27, 2026.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, All Employees: Total Nonfarm in Illinois [ILNA], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/ILNA, Oct 27, 2026.
View ILUR on FRED® · View ILNA on FRED® · BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics · BLS State and Metro Area Employment

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