Counties in Illinois by unemployment rate

Alexander County had the highest unemployment rate of 102 counties in November 2025, at 6.8%. Monroe County had the lowest, at 3.4%. The median was 5% and the figure for Illinois was 4.7%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Lowest3.4Monroe County
Median5102 counties
Illinois4.7History

Top 40 counties, November 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Alexander CountyAlexander County: 6.8 %6.8Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 6.8 %6.8Macon CountyMacon County: 6.5 %6.5Pope CountyPope County: 6.5 %6.5Kankakee CountyKankakee County: 6.3 %6.3Schuyler CountySchuyler County: 6.2 %6.2Vermilion CountyVermilion County: 6.2 %6.2Clay CountyClay County: 6 %6Winnebago CountyWinnebago County: 6 %6Clark CountyClark County: 5.9 %5.9Fayette CountyFayette County: 5.9 %5.9Hardin CountyHardin County: 5.9 %5.9Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 5.8 %5.8LaSalle CountyLaSalle County: 5.8 %5.8Perry CountyPerry County: 5.8 %5.8Knox CountyKnox County: 5.7 %5.7Peoria CountyPeoria County: 5.7 %5.7Boone CountyBoone County: 5.6 %5.6Franklin CountyFranklin County: 5.6 %5.6Marion CountyMarion County: 5.6 %5.6Bureau CountyBureau County: 5.5 %5.5Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 5.5 %5.5Jackson CountyJackson County: 5.5 %5.5Rock Island CountyRock Island County: 5.5 %5.5Fulton CountyFulton County: 5.4 %5.4Iroquois CountyIroquois County: 5.4 %5.4Johnson CountyJohnson County: 5.4 %5.4Logan CountyLogan County: 5.4 %5.4Marshall CountyMarshall County: 5.4 %5.4Putnam CountyPutnam County: 5.4 %5.4Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 5.3 %5.3Lee CountyLee County: 5.3 %5.3White CountyWhite County: 5.2 %5.2Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 5.1 %5.1Cass CountyCass County: 5.1 %5.1Edgar CountyEdgar County: 5.1 %5.1Hamilton CountyHamilton County: 5.1 %5.1Henry CountyHenry County: 5.1 %5.1Lake CountyLake County: 5.1 %5.1Macoupin CountyMacoupin County: 5.1 %5.1
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesNovember 2025 (%)Change on November 2024
1Alexander County6.8+0.9 pts
1Pulaski County6.8+1.1 pts
3Macon County6.5+1.4 pts
3Pope County6.5+1.8 pts
5Kankakee County6.3+1.4 pts
6Schuyler County6.2+1.3 pts
6Vermilion County6.2+0.7 pts
8Clay County6+1.5 pts
8Winnebago County6+1.3 pts
10Clark County5.9+1.7 pts
10Fayette County5.9+1.7 pts
10Hardin County5.9+1.7 pts
13Jefferson County5.8+1.5 pts
13LaSalle County5.8+1.2 pts
13Perry County5.8+1.5 pts
16Knox County5.7+1.3 pts
16Peoria County5.7+0.9 pts
18Boone County5.6+1.1 pts
18Franklin County5.6+1.1 pts
18Marion County5.6+1.3 pts
21Bureau County5.5+0.9 pts
21Gallatin County5.5+1.5 pts
21Jackson County5.5+1.4 pts
21Rock Island County5.5+0.3 pts
25Fulton County5.4+1.2 pts
25Iroquois County5.4+1.4 pts
25Johnson County5.4+1.2 pts
25Logan County5.4+0.9 pts
25Marshall County5.4+1.2 pts
25Putnam County5.4+1.2 pts
31Lawrence County5.3+1.3 pts
31Lee County5.3+1 pts
33White County5.2+1.3 pts
34Calhoun County5.1+1.1 pts
34Cass County5.1+0.9 pts
34Edgar County5.1+1.3 pts
34Hamilton County5.1+1.4 pts
34Henry County5.1+0.4 pts
34Lake County5.1+1 pts
34Macoupin County5.1+1.2 pts
34Mason County5.1+1 pts
34Montgomery County5.1+1.1 pts
34Pike County5.1+1.2 pts
34Saline County5.1+1.2 pts
34St. Clair County5.1+1 pts
34Stark County5.1+1.3 pts
34Union County5.1+1.4 pts
34Wayne County5.1+1.4 pts
34Whiteside County5.1+1 pts
50Kane County5+0.9 pts
50Mercer County5+0.4 pts
50Ogle County5+1 pts
50Sangamon County5+1.1 pts
54Carroll County4.9+0.8 pts
54Christian County4.9+1.2 pts
54Cook County4.9-0.2 pts
54Edwards County4.9+1.4 pts
54Tazewell County4.9+0.9 pts
59Crawford County4.8+0.9 pts
59DeKalb County4.8+0.9 pts
59Scott County4.8+1 pts
59Shelby County4.8+1.2 pts
59Stephenson County4.8+0.8 pts
64Bond County4.7+0.7 pts
64Champaign County4.7+1.1 pts
64Kendall County4.7+0.9 pts
64Warren County4.7+0.8 pts
64Williamson County4.7+0.9 pts
69Madison County4.6+1 pts
69Massac County4.6+0.9 pts
69McDonough County4.6+0.7 pts
69Menard County4.6+1.1 pts
69Morgan County4.6+0.8 pts
74Ford County4.5+1 pts
74Livingston County4.5+1.1 pts
74Randolph County4.5+1 pts
74Wabash County4.5+1.3 pts
74Will County4.5-0.1 pts
79Effingham County4.4+1.3 pts
79Greene County4.4+0.9 pts
79McLean County4.4+0.9 pts
79Richland County4.4+1.2 pts
83Cumberland County4.3+1.2 pts
83De Witt County4.3+0.5 pts
83Jersey County4.3+1 pts
86Coles County4.2+0.9 pts
86Douglas County4.2+1 pts
86Grundy County4.2-0.4 pts
86Jasper County4.2+1 pts
86Moultrie County4.2+1 pts
86Woodford County4.2+1 pts
92Hancock County4.1+0.8 pts
92Henderson County4.1+0.9 pts
92McHenry County4.10 pts
95DuPage County40 pts
95Jo Daviess County4+0.6 pts
97Adams County3.9+0.8 pts
97Brown County3.9+1.2 pts
97Piatt County3.9+1 pts
100Washington County3.7+0.8 pts
101Clinton County3.6+0.7 pts
102Monroe County3.4+0.8 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force, using the survey definition of unemployment: without work, available and looking for work. Spain: EPA, aged 16 and over. EU: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74. United States: civilian labour force aged 16 and over, from the Current Population Survey for the nation and from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics models, consistent with that survey, for states and counties. Other countries and the World: ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank, aged 15 and over.

Survey-based. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states and US counties, not Spanish municipalities. For municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate. US national and state rates are seasonally adjusted; county rates are not. Countries without a national or Eurostat series get the annual ILO modelled estimate, a model output rather than a survey result.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest unemployment rate?

Alexander County, with 6.8% in November 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Monroe County, with 3.4% in November 2025.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in Illinois: more rankings