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Illinois Unemployment Edges up to 5.3% in August

September 20, 2024 Last Edit: March 19, 2026

An overwhelming majority of new jobs in Illinois are in the public sector

Illinois Unemployment Edges up to 5.3% in August

Unemployment in Illinois rose to 5.3% in August, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security. At 5.3%, Illinois’ August unemployment rate exceeded the national unemployment rate of 4.2%. Among the fifty states, only Nevada had a higher unemployment rate according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Illinois’ neighboring states also saw changes to their unemployment rates. Wisconsin’s unemployment rate fell to 2.9%. While Indiana (4.2%), Iowa (2.9%), Kentucky (4.8%), and Missouri (3.9%) all saw their unemployment rates rise. Despite a weakening job market, small businesses continue to struggle to find qualified job applicants. 90% of small business owners hiring or looking to hire reported few or no qualified applicants in NFIB’s August Small Business Economic Trends survey. Inflation remained the number one issue facing small businesses, followed by quality of labor, according to the survey. “Despite a rising unemployment rate, finding qualified workers remains challenging for many small businesses,” said NFIB Illinois State Director Noah Finley. “This spring, NFIB successfully supported legislation in Springfield to identify the state’s current job-training and workforce-development programs so that they can be evaluated for effectiveness.” Over the past year, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security, Illinois added 36,300 nonfarm payroll jobs. Out of these new jobs, 98% (35,600) were in the public sector. The overall number of unemployed workers in Illinois rose to 343,100.

Topics:

Taxes

State:

Illinois

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Illinois Unemployment Edges up to 5.3% in August

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