The unemployment rate decreased in all twelve metro areas for the year ending June 2025, according to data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES). The St. Louis metro area unemployment rate reached a record low at 3.5% for June. Over-the-year, total nonfarm jobs increased in five metropolitan areas, leading to consecutive months with year-over-year growth: Champaign (5 consecutive months); Chicago (12 consecutive months); Springfield (20 consecutive months).
“Declines in unemployment across all metro areas, paired with sustained job growth in key regions, highlight Illinois’ resilient economy and the importance of ongoing investments in workforce developments,” said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. “Illinois is dedicated to building an economy that delivers meaningful opportunities and prosperity to communities statewide.”
The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Champaign-Urbana MSA (+1.1%, +1,300), the Chicago Metro Division (+0.7%, +28,400), and the Rockford MSA (+0.5%, +700). The metro areas which posted the largest over-the-year percentage decreases in total nonfarm jobs were the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island MSA, IL Section (-1.5%, -1,300), the Bloomington MSA (-1.3%, -1,200), and the Kankakee MSA (-0.9%, -400). Industries that saw job growth in the majority of the twelve metro areas included: Private Education and Health Services (eleven areas); Government (nine areas), Mining and Construction (eight areas), and Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities (seven areas).
The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were the Kankakee MSA (-1.4 points to 4.4%), the Lake County Metropolitan Division (-1.3 points to 3.6%), and the St. Louis MSA, IL Section (-1.3 points to 3.5%). The Chicago Metro Division reported a decrease of -1.2 points to 5.0%.
Metropolitan Area | June 2025* | June 2024** | Over-the- Year Change |
| Bloomington | 3.4% | 4.3% | -0.9 |
| Champaign-Urbana | 3.7% | 4.9% | -1.2 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg | 5.0% | 6.2% | -1.2 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island (IL Section) | 4.2% | 5.4% | -1.2 |
| Decatur | 5.1% | 6.3% | -1.2 |
| Elgin | 3.7% | 4.9% | -1.2 |
| Kankakee | 4.4% | 5.8% | -1.4 |
| Lake | 3.6% | 4.9% | -1.3 |
| Peoria | 3.9% | 5.1% | -1.2 |
| Rockford | 4.5% | 5.7% | -1.2 |
| Springfield | 3.6% | 4.6% | -1.0 |
| St. Louis (IL Section) | 3.5% | 4.8% | -1.3 |
| Illinois Statewide | 4.5% | 5.7% | -1.2 |
| * Preliminary I ** Revised | |||
Total Nonfarm Jobs (Not Seasonally Adjusted) – June 2025
| Metropolitan Area | June | June | Over-the-Year |
| 2025* | 2024** | Change | |
| Bloomington | 93,000 | 94,200 | -1,200 |
| Champaign-Urbana | 115,600 | 114,300 | 1,300 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg | 3,863,900 | 3,835,500 | 28,400 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island (IL Section) | 87,300 | 88,600 | -1,300 |
| Decatur | 47,100 | 47,500 | -400 |
| Elgin | 298,600 | 299,100 | -500 |
| Kankakee | 43,000 | 43,400 | -400 |
| Lake | 354,300 | 353,900 | 400 |
| Peoria | 173,700 | 174,800 | -1,100 |
| Rockford | 146,900 | 146,200 | 700 |
| Springfield | 112,200 | 111,900 | 300 |
| St. Louis (IL Section) | 243,200 | 243,500 | -300 |
| Illinois Statewide | 6,227,500 | 6,192,400 | 35,100 |
| *Preliminary | **Revised | |||
Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates (percent) for Local Counties and Areas
| Labor Market Area | Jun 2025 | Jun 2024 | Over-the- Year Change |
| Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg, IL Metro Division | |||
| Cook County | 5.2 % | 6.5 % | -1.3 |
| DuPage County | 4.3 % | 5.4 % | -1.1 |
| Grundy County | 4.8 % | 6.3 % | -1.5 |
| McHenry County | 4.3 % | 5.3 % | -1.0 |
| Will County | 4.8 % | 6.1 % | -1.3 |
| Elgin, IL Metro Division | |||
| DeKalb County | 3.8 % | 4.9 % | -1.1 |
| Kane County | 3.7 % | 5.0 % | -1.3 |
| Kendall County | 3.6 % | 4.8 % | -1.2 |
| Lake County, IL Metro Division | |||
| Lake County | 3.6 % | 4.9 % | -1.3 |
| Kankakee, IL MSA | |||
| Kankakee County | 4.4 % | 5.8 % | -1.4 |
| Cities | |||
| Aurora City | 4.3 % | 5.4 % | -1.1 |
| Chicago City | 5.3 % | 6.6 % | -1.3 |
| Elgin City | 4.0 % | 5.5 % | -1.5 |
| Joliet City | 5.4 % | 6.6 % | -1.2 |
| Kankakee City | 5.5 % | 7.1 % | -1.6 |
| Naperville City | 4.4 % | 5.5 % | -1.1 |
Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg, IL Metro Division
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 5.0 percent in June 2025 from 6.2 percent in June 2024.
Total nonfarm employment increased +28,400 compared to June 2024. The Private Education-Health Services (+11,600), Government (+8,800), Leisure-Hospitality (+7,800), Construction (+4,500), Financial Activities (+4,000), Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+1,800), Information (+800) and Other Services (+800) sectors had payroll gains over-the-year. The Retail Trade (-4,200), Professional-Business Services (-3,600), Manufacturing (-2,800) and Wholesale Trade (-1,100) sectors had employment declines from a year ago.
Elgin, IL Metro Division
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 3.7 percent in June 2025 from 4.9 percent in June 2024.
Total nonfarm employment decreased -500 compared to June 2024. The Government (+2,500), Private Education-Health Services (+1,400), Financial Activities (+300), Construction (+100) and Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+100) sectors had payroll gains over-the-year. The Leisure- Hospitality (-3,100), Manufacturing (-1,100), Professional- Business Services (-500) and Retail Trade (-200) sectors had employment declines from a year ago.
Lake County, IL Metro Division
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 3.6 percent in June 2025 from 4.9 percent in June 2024.
Total nonfarm employment increased +400 compared to June 2024. The Leisure-Hospitality (+1,800), Private Education-Health Services (+1,700), Government (+1,600) and Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+400) sectors had payroll gains over-the-year. The Professional-Business Services (-2,200), Retail Trade (-1,200), Financial Activities (-900), Other Services (-300), Manufacturing (-200), Wholesale Trade (-200) and Information (-100) sectors had employment declines from a year ago.
Kankakee, IL MSA
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 4.4 percent in June 2025 from 5.8 percent in June 2024.
Total nonfarm employment decreased -400 compared to June 2024. The Private Education-Health Services (+200), Mining- Construction (+100) and Financial Activities (+100) sectors had payroll gains over-the-year. The Retail Trade (-200), Government (-200), Professional-Business Services (-100), Manufacturing (-100), Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (-100) and Wholesale Trade (-100) sectors had employment declines from a year ago.
Note: Monthly 2024 unemployment rates and total nonfarm jobs for Illinois metro areas were revised in February and March 2025, as required by the U.S. BLS. Comments and tables distributed for prior metro area news releases should be discarded as any records or historical analysis previously cited may no longer be valid.
Disclaimer: The data contained in the metro area employment numbers press releases are not seasonally adjusted, and therefore are subject to seasonal fluctuations due to factors such as changes in weather, harvests, major holidays and school schedules. Current monthly metro data should be compared to the same month from prior years (January 2025 data compared to January 2024 data) as data for these months have similar seasonal patterns. Comparisons should not be made to data for the immediate previous month or other previous non-matching months, as any changes in the data within these time periods may be the result of seasonal fluctuations and not economic factors.
***Courtesy of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security***
