Counties in Illinois by unemployment rate

Edwards County had the highest unemployment rate of 102 counties in February 2026, at 11.5%. Monroe County had the lowest, at 3.3%. The median was 5.55% and the figure for Illinois was 5%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest11.5Edwards County
Lowest3.3Monroe County
Median5.55102 counties
Illinois5History

Top 40 counties, February 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Edwards CountyEdwards County: 11.5 %11.5Boone CountyBoone County: 7.4 %7.4Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 7.1 %7.1Kankakee CountyKankakee County: 7 %7Scott CountyScott County: 6.9 %6.9Stark CountyStark County: 6.9 %6.9LaSalle CountyLaSalle County: 6.8 %6.8Macon CountyMacon County: 6.8 %6.8Schuyler CountySchuyler County: 6.8 %6.8Marshall CountyMarshall County: 6.7 %6.7Pope CountyPope County: 6.7 %6.7Fayette CountyFayette County: 6.6 %6.6Vermilion CountyVermilion County: 6.6 %6.6Winnebago CountyWinnebago County: 6.6 %6.6Alexander CountyAlexander County: 6.5 %6.5Iroquois CountyIroquois County: 6.5 %6.5Putnam CountyPutnam County: 6.5 %6.5Bureau CountyBureau County: 6.4 %6.4Knox CountyKnox County: 6.4 %6.4Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 6.3 %6.3Clark CountyClark County: 6.3 %6.3Fulton CountyFulton County: 6.2 %6.2Henry CountyHenry County: 6.2 %6.2Kane CountyKane County: 6.2 %6.2Lake CountyLake County: 6.2 %6.2Mason CountyMason County: 6.2 %6.2Mercer CountyMercer County: 6.2 %6.2Peoria CountyPeoria County: 6.2 %6.2Wayne CountyWayne County: 6.2 %6.2White CountyWhite County: 6.2 %6.2Ogle CountyOgle County: 6.1 %6.1Pike CountyPike County: 6.1 %6.1Carroll CountyCarroll County: 6 %6Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 6 %6Rock Island CountyRock Island County: 6 %6Johnson CountyJohnson County: 5.9 %5.9Clay CountyClay County: 5.8 %5.8Franklin CountyFranklin County: 5.8 %5.8Hamilton CountyHamilton County: 5.8 %5.8Logan CountyLogan County: 5.8 %5.8
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesFebruary 2026 (%)Change on February 2025
1Edwards County11.5+7.4 pts
2Boone County7.4+1 pts
3Pulaski County7.1+1 pts
4Kankakee County7+1.1 pts
5Scott County6.9+1 pts
5Stark County6.9+1.1 pts
7LaSalle County6.8+1 pts
7Macon County6.8+1 pts
7Schuyler County6.8+1 pts
10Marshall County6.7+0.8 pts
10Pope County6.7+2.4 pts
12Fayette County6.6+1.3 pts
12Vermilion County6.6+0.8 pts
12Winnebago County6.6+1.1 pts
15Alexander County6.5-0.1 pts
15Iroquois County6.5+1 pts
15Putnam County6.5+1 pts
18Bureau County6.4+0.5 pts
18Knox County6.4+1.3 pts
20Calhoun County6.3+1.4 pts
20Clark County6.3+1.8 pts
22Fulton County6.2+0.9 pts
22Henry County6.2+0.8 pts
22Kane County6.2+1 pts
22Lake County6.2+0.9 pts
22Mason County6.2+1.2 pts
22Mercer County6.2+0.2 pts
22Peoria County6.2+0.5 pts
22Wayne County6.2+2.3 pts
22White County6.2+1.8 pts
31Ogle County6.1+0.8 pts
31Pike County6.1+1 pts
33Carroll County6+0.6 pts
33Jefferson County6+1.4 pts
33Rock Island County6+0.4 pts
36Johnson County5.9+0.7 pts
37Clay County5.8+1 pts
37Franklin County5.8+0.7 pts
37Hamilton County5.8+1.3 pts
37Logan County5.8+0.7 pts
37Menard County5.8+1.2 pts
37Montgomery County5.8+0.9 pts
37Union County5.8+0.7 pts
44Hardin County5.7+0.9 pts
44Henderson County5.7+1.3 pts
44Perry County5.7+0.8 pts
47Cass County5.6+0.7 pts
47Grundy County5.6-0.2 pts
47Jackson County5.6+0.9 pts
47Lee County5.6+0.9 pts
47Tazewell County5.6+0.7 pts
52Cook County5.5+0.2 pts
52Jo Daviess County5.5+0.8 pts
52Lawrence County5.5+1.5 pts
52Macoupin County5.5+0.8 pts
52Marion County5.5+1 pts
52Stephenson County5.5+0.5 pts
52Whiteside County5.5+1 pts
52Will County5.5+0.2 pts
60DeKalb County5.4+0.7 pts
60McDonough County5.4+1.5 pts
62Kendall County5.3+0.9 pts
62Sangamon County5.3+0.9 pts
64Christian County5.2+0.9 pts
64Edgar County5.2+1.1 pts
64McHenry County5.2+0.3 pts
64Morgan County5.2+0.9 pts
68Bond County5.1+0.8 pts
68Cumberland County5.1+1.6 pts
68Ford County5.1+0.8 pts
68Gallatin County5.1+0.6 pts
68Livingston County5.1+0.8 pts
68Saline County5.1+0.8 pts
68Shelby County5.1+1.1 pts
68St. Clair County5.1+0.9 pts
76Jasper County5+1.3 pts
76Wabash County5+1.5 pts
76Warren County5+0.6 pts
76Williamson County5+0.9 pts
80Effingham County4.9+1.1 pts
81Champaign County4.8+0.9 pts
81De Witt County4.8+0.5 pts
83Hancock County4.7+0.8 pts
83Richland County4.7+1.3 pts
83Woodford County4.7+0.9 pts
86Greene County4.6+0.4 pts
86Madison County4.6+0.9 pts
86Massac County4.6+0.9 pts
86McLean County4.6+0.8 pts
90Douglas County4.5+0.9 pts
90DuPage County4.5+0.3 pts
90Jersey County4.5+0.7 pts
90Moultrie County4.5+1 pts
94Piatt County4.4+0.7 pts
94Randolph County4.4+0.6 pts
96Coles County4.2+0.7 pts
96Washington County4.2+0.7 pts
98Clinton County4.1+0.6 pts
98Crawford County4.1+0.5 pts
100Adams County4+0.6 pts
100Brown County4+1.2 pts
102Monroe County3.3+0.5 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?

Edwards County, with 11.5% in February 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Monroe County, with 3.3% in February 2026.

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