Illinois Unemployment Rate Falls To 4.7% In August

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois’ unemployment rate fell to 4.7% in August, down from 4.9% in July, while the state lost 4,400 nonfarm payroll jobs during the month. Payrolls totaled 6.18 million, with July’s job increase revised to 15,300. Construction, leisure and hospitality, and professional and business services added jobs in August, while private education and health services, financial activities, and trade, transportation and utilities saw declines. Compared with August 2025, Illinois had 15,000 more payroll jobs, led by gains in construction and private education and health services. The number of unemployed workers fell to 306,800, while the labor force declined 0.3% from July.