For Immediate Release – July 24, 2025
Unemployment Down in All 12 Metro Areas for June, St. Louis Metro Reaches Record Low
Chicago Metro Achieves 12 Consecutive Months of Year-over-Year Job Growth, Continued Gains in Champaign, Springfield
SPRINGFIELD – 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 |
| Champaign-Urbana MSA | 3.7% | 4.9% | –1.2 |
| Champaign County | 3.7% | 4.9% | -1.2 |
| Ford County | 3.7% | 5.0% | -1.3 |
| Piatt County | 3.1% | 4.1% | -1.0 |
| Danville Area | |||
| Vermilion County | 4.8% | 6.6% | -1.8 |
| Cities | |||
| Champaign City | 3.8% | 5.0% | -1.2 |
| Urbana City | 4.1% | 5.4% | -1.3 |
| Danville City | 5.7% | 7.8% | -2.1 |
| Counties | |||
| Clark County | 3.8% | 5.2% | -1.4 |
| Coles County | 3.6% | 4.7% | -1.1 |
| Cook County | 5.2% | 6.5% | -1.3 |
| De Witt County | 3.2% | 4.8% | -1.6 |
| Douglas County | 3.2% | 4.2% | -1.0 |
| Edgar County | 3.4% | 4.5% | -1.1 |
| Iroquois County | 3.7% | 4.8% | -1.1 |
| McLean County | 3.4% | 4.3% | -0.9 |
| Macon County | 5.1% | 6.3% | -1.2 |
| Moultrie County | 3.3% | 4.0% | -0.7 |
| Sangamon County | 3.6% | 4.6% | -1.0 |
| Shelby County | 3.2% | 4.4% | -1.2 |
| Other Areas | |||
| LWIA 17 | 3.6% | 4.8% | -1.2 |
| LWIA 18 | 4.8% | 6.6% | -1.8 |
| East Central EDR | 3.8% | 5.1% | -1.3 |
East Central Illinois Highlights
Champaign-Urbana MSA
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.7 percent in June 2025 decreased from 4.9 percent in June 2024.
Over-the-year, nonfarm employment increased by +1,300 to the total of 115,600 jobs.
Employment increased in the Government (+1,000), Leisure- Hospitality (+700), Other Services (+100), Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+100) and Financial Activities (+100) sectors.
Payrolls were unchanged in Mining-Construction and Wholesale Trade.
Payroll employment decreased in Private Education-Health Services (-200), Information (-200), Manufacturing (-100), Professional-Business Services (-100) and Retail Trade (-100) between June 2024 and June 2025.
Danville Area–Vermilion County
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 4.8 percent in June 2025 decreased from 6.6 percent in June 2024.
Over-the-year, nonfarm employment decreased by -700 to the total of 25,625 jobs.
Employment increased in the Private Education-Health Services (+100) and Natural Resources-Mining (+25) sectors.
Payrolls were unchanged in Information and Financial Activities.
Payroll employment decreased in Manufacturing (-300), Government (-125), Professional-Business Services (-125), Construction (-100), Trade-Transportation-Utilities (-100), Leisure-Hospitality (-50) and Other Services (-25) between June 2024 and June 2025.
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.
