Alexander County had the highest annual average unemployment rate in Illinois in 2025 at 6.8%, followed by Pulaski County at 6.0% and Macon County at 5.8%, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Monroe County had the lowest rate at 3.0%. Statewide, Illinois’ annual average unemployment rate was 4.6%, compared with 4.3% nationally.
A county unemployment rate is not the same thing as the percentage of adults without jobs. IDES reports these figures through the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program, which estimates the labor force, employment, unemployment, and unemployment rate for counties and other local areas. The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed persons divided by the civilian labor force. In general, a person is counted as unemployed if the person is not employed, is available for work, and has made specific efforts to find work during the relevant four-week period. People outside the labor force are not included in the denominator. That distinction matters: a lower unemployment rate may reflect more people working, but it may also be affected by changes in labor-force participation. These county figures are annual averages for 2025 and are not seasonally adjusted.
| Rank | County | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexander | 6.8% |
| 2 | Pulaski | 6.0% |
| 3 | Macon | 5.8% |
| 4 | Vermilion | 5.6% |
| 5 | Boone | 5.5% |
| 6 | Kankakee | 5.5% |
| 7 | LaSalle | 5.4% |
| 8 | Winnebago | 5.4% |
| 9 | Hardin | 5.3% |
| 10 | Peoria | 5.3% |
| 11 | Pope | 5.3% |
| 12 | Bureau | 5.2% |
| 13 | Rock Island | 5.2% |
| 14 | Stark | 5.2% |
| 15 | Henry | 5.1% |
| 16 | Knox | 5.1% |
| 17 | Marshall | 5.1% |
| 18 | Mercer | 5.1% |
| 19 | Schuyler | 5.1% |
| 20 | Clay | 5.0% |
| 21 | Franklin | 5.0% |
| 22 | Johnson | 5.0% |
| 23 | Perry | 5.0% |
| 24 | Putnam | 5.0% |
| 25 | Fayette | 4.9% |
| 26 | Iroquois | 4.9% |
| 27 | Jefferson | 4.9% |
| 28 | Scott | 4.9% |
| 29 | Carroll | 4.8% |
| 30 | Cook | 4.8% |
| 31 | Fulton | 4.8% |
| 32 | Jackson | 4.8% |
| 33 | Logan | 4.8% |
| 34 | Marion | 4.8% |
| 35 | Calhoun | 4.7% |
| 36 | Clark | 4.7% |
| 37 | Gallatin | 4.7% |
| 38 | Grundy | 4.7% |
| 39 | Kane | 4.7% |
| 40 | Lake | 4.7% |
| 41 | Mason | 4.7% |
| 42 | Ogle | 4.7% |
| 43 | Pike | 4.7% |
| 44 | Cass | 4.6% |
| 45 | Hamilton | 4.6% |
| 46 | Lee | 4.6% |
| 47 | Montgomery | 4.6% |
| 48 | Saline | 4.6% |
| 49 | Union | 4.6% |
| 50 | White | 4.6% |
| 51 | Whiteside | 4.6% |
| 52 | Will | 4.6% |
| 53 | DeKalb | 4.5% |
| 54 | Lawrence | 4.5% |
| 55 | Macoupin | 4.5% |
| 56 | St. Clair | 4.5% |
| 57 | Stephenson | 4.5% |
| 58 | Tazewell | 4.5% |
| 59 | McDonough | 4.4% |
| 60 | Sangamon | 4.4% |
| 61 | Warren | 4.4% |
| 62 | Christian | 4.3% |
| 63 | Edwards | 4.3% |
| 64 | Ford | 4.3% |
| 65 | Kendall | 4.3% |
| 66 | Bond | 4.2% |
| 67 | Wayne | 4.2% |
| 68 | Williamson | 4.2% |
| 69 | Champaign | 4.1% |
| 70 | Edgar | 4.1% |
| 71 | Henderson | 4.1% |
| 72 | Massac | 4.1% |
| 73 | McHenry | 4.1% |
| 74 | Menard | 4.1% |
| 75 | Morgan | 4.1% |
| 76 | Livingston | 4.0% |
| 77 | Madison | 4.0% |
| 78 | Crawford | 3.9% |
| 79 | De Witt | 3.9% |
| 80 | DuPage | 3.9% |
| 81 | Greene | 3.9% |
| 82 | McLean | 3.9% |
| 83 | Randolph | 3.9% |
| 84 | Shelby | 3.9% |
| 85 | Coles | 3.8% |
| 86 | Jersey | 3.8% |
| 87 | Jo Daviess | 3.8% |
| 88 | Moultrie | 3.8% |
| 89 | Wabash | 3.8% |
| 90 | Douglas | 3.7% |
| 91 | Hancock | 3.7% |
| 92 | Richland | 3.7% |
| 93 | Woodford | 3.7% |
| 94 | Effingham | 3.6% |
| 95 | Jasper | 3.6% |
| 96 | Piatt | 3.6% |
| 97 | Adams | 3.5% |
| 98 | Cumberland | 3.5% |
| 99 | Washington | 3.4% |
| 100 | Clinton | 3.3% |
| 101 | Brown | 3.1% |
| 102 | Monroe | 3.0% |
The county rankings should be read as a labor-market indicator, not a complete measure of local economic health. County unemployment rates do not capture wage levels, underemployment, commuting patterns, discouraged workers who are no longer actively looking for work, or differences in labor-force participation. Still, they provide a useful starting point for comparing local labor-market conditions across Illinois. The IDES map reports Illinois at 4.6% and the United States at 4.3% for the same annual-average, not-seasonally-adjusted period.
Link to Suggested FAQ Section Suggested FAQ Section
Link to Which Illinois county had the highest unemployment rate in 2025? Which Illinois county had the highest unemployment rate in 2025?
Alexander County had the highest annual average unemployment rate in Illinois in 2025 at 6.8%, according to the IDES county unemployment map.
Link to Which Illinois county had the lowest unemployment rate in 2025? Which Illinois county had the lowest unemployment rate in 2025?
Monroe County had the lowest annual average unemployment rate in Illinois in 2025 at 3.0%.
Link to What was Illinois’ unemployment rate in 2025? What was Illinois’ unemployment rate in 2025?
The IDES map reports Illinois’ annual average unemployment rate at 4.6%, not seasonally adjusted.
Link to Are county unemployment rates the same as the percentage of adults without jobs? Are county unemployment rates the same as the percentage of adults without jobs?
No. The unemployment rate measures unemployed persons as a share of the civilian labor force. It does not include people who are outside the labor force, and it does not measure underemployment, wages, commuting patterns, or discouraged workers who are no longer actively looking for work.
Link to Why are the rates described as “not seasonally adjusted”? Why are the rates described as “not seasonally adjusted”?
“Not seasonally adjusted” means the figures are not modified to smooth out recurring seasonal employment patterns. That matters when comparing annual averages, monthly figures, or different data releases.