Unemployment drops to 4.6% in Illinois, payroll jobs reach record high

ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Illinois unemployment has fallen, and nonfarm payrolls totals reached a record high in June, officials announced on Thursday.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) said nonfarm payrolls totals (which measures the number of U.S. workers in the economy, but excludes private household employees, volunteers, farm employees and self-employed people) surpassed the previous high, which was set in March.

In June, payroll jobs increased by 9,400, which pushes total nonfarm employment up to 6,175,200.

Compared to this time last year, nonfarm payroll jobs increased by 35,000 jobs. Some of the industries which saw the largest job increases included private education and health services, government and leisure, and hospitality. Some of the industries with the largest decreases included professional and business services, manufacturing and trade, transportation and utilities.

Illinois also saw its unemployment rate fall to 4.6% in June. This is the first monthly decrease since February and is the lowest unemployment rate since August 2023.

“With another month of record payroll growth, coupled with a decrease in the unemployment rate, Illinois continues to show its economic resiliency amid ever changing federal economic policies in the first half of 2025,” said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. “Illinois is committed to maintaining economic stability, reliability, and innovation that gives workers and employers the tools necessary to find and build long-term success.”

In June, officials also said the number of unemployed workers decreased -3.5% from May and nearly -10% from last year.

IDES helps connect people looking for jobs with employers through job fairs, hiring events, and by maintaining Illinois JobLink (IJL), Illinois’ largest job search engine. IDES also publishes resources to assist federal employees and contractors impacted by recent terminations or deferred resignations.