U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Bureau of Labor Statistics > Geographic Information > Midwest > Table

Midwest Economy - Labor Force Statistics

 
Civilian labor force in the Midwest, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Area

(Links provide news releases)		 Back
data		 Sep
2024		 Jul
2025		 Aug
2025		 Sep
2025		 Sep 2024 to
Sep 2025
Net
change		 Percent
change

United States

 168,703 170,342 170,778 171,248 2,545 1.5

Midwest

 35,841.5 35,899.0 35,864.8 35,845.1 3.6 0.0

Illinois

 6,646.9 6,598.6 6,580.8 6,568.8 -78.1 -1.2

Indiana

 3,480.3 3,489.0 3,489.1 3,493.3 12.9 0.4

Iowa

 1,716.2 1,737.4 1,739.2 1,740.8 24.7 1.4

Kansas

 1,554.1 1,553.7 1,556.2 1,560.7 6.6 0.4

Michigan

 5,077.0 5,076.6 5,063.5 5,055.5 -21.4 -0.4

Minnesota

 3,138.3 3,155.8 3,156.9 3,159.5 21.1 0.7

Missouri

 3,138.5 3,167.1 3,171.9 3,176.8 38.2 1.2

Nebraska

 1,073.4 1,087.4 1,089.6 1,091.7 18.3 1.7

North Dakota

 427.5 430.1 430.2 430.5 3.0 0.7

Ohio

 5,917.6 5,960.3 5,952.0 5,943.2 25.7 0.4

South Dakota

 490.5 493.3 492.7 492.4 1.9 0.4

Wisconsin

 3,183.0 3,150.0 3,142.9 3,131.5 -51.5 -1.6

Source: Local Area Unemployment Statistics
The State and regional data above are a product of the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program, a Federal-State cooperative program in which total employment and unemployment are measured for approximately 7,200 areas.
 
Unemployed in the Midwest, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Area

(Links provide news releases)		 Back
data		 Sep
2024		 Jul
2025		 Aug
2025		 Sep
2025		 Sep 2024 to
Sep 2025
Net
change		 Percent
change

United States

 6,901 7,236 7,384 7,603 702 10.2

Midwest

 1,475.6 1,506.0 1,497.2 1,483.8 8.2 0.6

Illinois

 331.4 300.6 292.5 287.0 -44.3 -13.4

Indiana

 154.0 124.0 124.9 127.7 -26.3 -17.1

Iowa

 56.5 64.9 65.8 64.9 8.4 14.9

Kansas

 58.6 59.4 59.6 59.9 1.3 2.2

Michigan

 257.5 270.3 264.0 258.8 1.3 0.5

Minnesota

 97.0 109.0 113.6 117.4 20.4 21.0

Missouri

 115.1 129.8 131.5 131.8 16.7 14.5

Nebraska

 30.9 32.4 32.2 32.2 1.3 4.2

North Dakota

 10.9 10.7 10.8 11.0 0.1 1.0

Ohio

 260.7 296.5 295.1 287.0 26.3 10.1

South Dakota

 9.1 9.1 9.4 9.7 0.7 7.4

Wisconsin

 95.9 98.6 97.5 96.2 0.4 0.4

Source: Local Area Unemployment Statistics
The State and regional data above are a product of the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program, a Federal-State cooperative program in which total employment and unemployment are measured for approximately 7,200 areas.
 
Unemployment rates in the Midwest, seasonally adjusted (in percent)
Area

(Links provide news releases)		 Back
data		 Sep
2024		 Jul
2025		 Aug
2025		 Sep
2025		 Net change
Sep 2024 to
Sep 2025

United States

 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 0.3

Midwest

 4.1 4.2 4.2 4.1 0.0

Illinois

 5.0 4.6 4.4 4.4 -0.6

Indiana

 4.4 3.6 3.6 3.7 -0.7

Iowa

 3.3 3.7 3.8 3.7 0.4

Kansas

 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.8 0.0

Michigan

 5.1 5.3 5.2 5.1 0.0

Minnesota

 3.1 3.5 3.6 3.7 0.6

Missouri

 3.7 4.1 4.1 4.1 0.4

Nebraska

 2.9 3.0 3.0 3.0 0.1

North Dakota

 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.6 0.1

Ohio

 4.4 5.0 5.0 4.8 0.4

South Dakota

 1.8 1.9 1.9 2.0 0.2

Wisconsin

 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.1 0.1

Source: Local Area Unemployment Statistics
The State and regional data above are a product of the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program, a Federal-State cooperative program in which total employment and unemployment are measured for approximately 7,200 areas.
 
Unemployment rates in Midwest states by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), not seasonally adjusted (in percent)
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

(news release)
 Back
data		 Sep
2024		 Jul
2025		 Aug
2025		 Sep
2025		 Net change
Sep 2024 to
Sep 2025

Illinois

Bloomington

 3.7 4.1 4.2 3.9 0.2

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL

 2.8 4.6 4.3 3.2 0.4

Champaign-Urbana

 3.8 4.4 4.7 4.1 0.3

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

 5.0 4.9 4.6 4.2 -0.8

Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg, IL(1)

 5.1 5.1 4.6 4.1 -1.0

Elgin

 4.1 4.4 4.6 4.3 0.2

Lake County, IL(1)

 4.2 4.3 4.6 4.3 0.1

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL

 5.1 5.1 5.3 5.1 0.0

Decatur

 5.4 5.9 6.1 5.9 0.5

Kankakee

 5.0 5.1 5.7 5.5 0.5

Peoria

 4.3 4.7 4.9 4.7 0.4

Rockford

 4.9 5.1 5.4 5.2 0.3

St Louis, MO-IL

 3.2 4.5 4.5 3.7 0.5

Springfield

 3.9 4.2 4.5 4.3 0.4

Indiana

Bloomington

 3.4 4.4 4.0 3.3 -0.1

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

 5.0 4.9 4.6 4.2 -0.8

Lake County-Porter County-Jasper County(1)

 5.1 5.1 4.7 4.3 -0.8

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

 4.2 5.3 4.7 4.1 -0.1

Columbus

 3.8 4.0 3.6 3.4 -0.4

Elkhart-Goshen

 4.7 5.1 4.1 3.7 -1.0

Evansville, IN

 3.7 3.9 3.6 3.4 -0.3

Fort Wayne

 3.6 3.9 3.6 3.3 -0.3

Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood

 3.7 3.8 3.6 3.3 -0.4

Kokomo

 7.0 6.9 6.2 5.5 -1.5

Lafayette-West Lafayette

 3.4 4.6 3.9 3.3 -0.1

Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

 4.4 5.0 4.0 4.0 -0.4

Michigan City-LaPorte

 4.6 4.3 3.9 3.8 -0.8

Muncie

 4.1 5.0 4.6 3.9 -0.2

South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI

 4.6 5.0 4.5 3.9 -0.7

Terre Haute

 4.1 4.4 4.1 3.7 -0.4

Iowa

Ames

 2.2 3.7 3.2 2.5 0.3

Cedar Rapids

 3.0 4.4 5.5 3.4 0.4

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL

 5.1 5.1 5.3 5.1 0.0

Des Moines-West Des Moines

 2.9 4.1 4.2 3.2 0.3

Dubuque

 2.9 4.0 3.9 3.0 0.1

Iowa City

 2.2 3.4 3.4 2.5 0.3

Omaha, NE-IA

 2.8 3.4 3.2 3.1 0.3

Sioux City, IA-NE-SD

 2.6 4.0 3.7 2.9 0.3

Waterloo-Cedar Falls

 3.8 4.6 4.4 3.6 -0.2

Kansas

Kansas City, MO-KS

 3.2 4.4 4.3 3.5 0.3

Lawrence

 3.1 4.2 4.0 3.4 0.3

Manhattan

 3.2 4.4 4.2 3.5 0.3

Topeka

 3.5 4.3 4.3 3.8 0.3

St. Joseph, MO-KS

 3.0 4.8 4.5 3.4 0.4

Wichita

 3.7 4.7 4.5 3.8 0.1

Michigan

Ann Arbor

 3.8 5.3 4.8 3.8 0.0

Battle Creek

 5.2 7.4 6.2 5.1 -0.1

Bay City

 5.1 7.0 6.3 5.1 0.0

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

 4.6 5.7 4.3 4.8 0.2

Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia(1)

 5.5 6.9 5.3 5.9 0.4

Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills(1)

 4.0 4.9 3.7 4.2 0.2

Flint

 5.5 7.9 6.8 5.7 0.2

Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood

 4.0 5.5 4.8 3.9 -0.1

Jackson

 4.7 6.5 5.8 4.6 -0.1

Kalamazoo-Portage

 4.2 5.9 5.2 4.2 0.0

Lansing-East Lansing

 4.2 6.4 5.2 4.1 -0.1

Midland

 4.3 5.8 5.1 4.2 -0.1

Monroe

 4.8 6.5 6.2 4.6 -0.2

Muskegon-Norton Shores

 5.2 7.0 6.3 5.3 0.1

Niles

 4.9 6.3 5.5 4.6 -0.3

Saginaw

 5.6 7.7 6.9 5.7 0.1

South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI

 4.6 5.0 4.5 3.9 -0.7

Traverse City

 3.9 5.0 4.4 3.7 -0.2

Minnesota

Duluth, MN-WI

 2.7 4.7 4.7 3.9 1.2

Fargo, ND-MN

 1.9 2.6 2.7 2.3 0.4

Grand Forks, ND-MN

 1.9 2.8 2.8 2.3 0.4

La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN

 2.3 2.9 2.9 2.5 0.2

Mankato

 2.1 3.4 3.5 2.9 0.8

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

 2.6 3.8 4.1 3.6 1.0

Rochester

 2.1 3.0 3.2 2.7 0.6

St. Cloud

 2.3 4.1 4.3 3.2 0.9

Missouri

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL

 2.8 4.6 4.3 3.2 0.4

Columbia

 2.5 4.5 4.1 2.9 0.4

Jefferson City

 2.5 3.8 3.7 2.8 0.3

Joplin, MO-KS

 3.0 4.5 4.4 3.4 0.4

Kansas City, MO-KS

 3.2 4.4 4.3 3.5 0.3

Springfield

 2.7 4.3 4.2 3.2 0.5

St. Joseph

 3.0 4.8 4.5 3.4 0.4

St. Louis, MO-IL

 3.2 4.5 4.5 3.7 0.5

Nebraska

Grand Island

 4.0 4.0 3.0 2.8 -1.2

Lincoln

 2.4 2.9 2.8 2.7 0.3

Omaha, NE-IA

 2.8 3.4 3.2 3.1 0.3

Sioux City, IA-NE-SD

 2.6 4.0 3.7 2.9 0.3

North Dakota

Bismarck

 1.8 2.5 2.3 2.0 0.2

Fargo, ND-MN

 1.9 2.6 2.7 2.3 0.4

Grand Forks, ND-MN

 1.9 2.8 2.8 2.3 0.4

Minot

 1.9 2.2 2.5 2.3 0.4

Ohio

Akron

 4.3 5.6 5.2 4.3 0.0

Canton-Massillon

 4.4 5.4 5.1 4.3 -0.1

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

 4.2 5.3 4.7 4.1 -0.1

Cleveland

 3.3 5.2 3.8 3.3 0.0

Columbus

 4.0 5.0 4.7 3.9 -0.1

Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek

 4.4 5.6 5.3 4.4 0.0

Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH

 4.6 5.2 4.9 4.6 0.0

Lima

 4.4 5.7 5.4 4.6 0.2

Mansfield

 4.7 6.0 5.6 4.6 -0.1

Sandusky

 4.3 5.5 4.9 4.2 -0.1

Springfield

 4.6 5.9 5.5 5.2 0.6

Toledo

 4.9 6.8 5.9 4.8 -0.1

Wheeling, WV-OH

 4.3 4.9 5.0 4.4 0.1

Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH

 5.7 6.2 5.9 5.1 -0.6

Youngstown-Warren, OH

 4.9 6.4 5.9 4.9 0.0

South Dakota

Rapid City

 1.5 1.7 2.2 1.9 0.4

Sioux City, IA-NE-SD

 2.6 4.0 3.7 2.9 0.3

Sioux Falls, SD-MN

 1.4 1.7 2.2 1.8 0.4

Wisconsin

Appleton

 2.2 2.9 2.9 2.3 0.1

Duluth, MN-WI

 2.7 4.7 4.7 3.9 1.2

Eau Claire

 2.4 3.0 3.1 2.5 0.1

Fond du Lac

 2.6 3.2 3.1 2.5 -0.1

Green Bay

 2.3 2.9 2.9 2.5 0.2

Janesville-Beloit

 2.7 3.5 3.5 2.9 0.2

La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN

 2.3 2.9 2.9 2.5 0.2

Madison

 2.2 2.7 2.7 2.3 0.1

Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI

 2.9 3.7 3.7 3.0 0.1

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

 2.6 3.8 4.1 3.6 1.0

Oshkosh-Neenah

 2.4 3.1 3.0 2.5 0.1

Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI

 3.0 3.8 3.9 3.1 0.1

Sheboygan

 2.3 2.8 2.8 2.4 0.1

Wausau

 2.2 2.8 2.8 2.4 0.2

Footnotes
(1) Metropolitan Division

Source: Local Area Unemployment Statistics
The State and regional data above are a product of the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program, a Federal-State cooperative program in which total employment and unemployment are measured for approximately 7,200 areas.
 
Nonfarm wage and salary employment in Midwest States, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Area

(news release)		 Back
data		 Sep
2024		 Jul
2025		 Aug
2025		 Sep
2025		 Sep 2024 to
Sep 2025
Net
change		 Percent
change

United States

 158,314 159,511 159,485 159,593 1,279 0.8

Illinois

 6,138.2 6,167.0 6,164.8 (p)6,162.6 (p)24.4 (p)0.4

Indiana

 3,271.5 3,288.4 3,290.7 (p)3,295.8 (p)24.3 (p)0.7

Iowa

 1,594.6 1,591.0 1,594.6 (p)1,598.3 (p)3.7 (p)0.2

Kansas

 1,460.1 1,457.1 1,458.7 (p)1,458.4 (p)-1.7 (p)-0.1

Michigan

 4,497.5 4,528.8 4,532.3 (p)4,533.9 (p)36.4 (p)0.8

Minnesota

 3,017.9 3,047.2 3,053.9 (p)3,060.0 (p)42.1 (p)1.4

Missouri

 2,992.3 3,027.7 3,022.9 (p)3,041.2 (p)48.9 (p)1.6

Nebraska

 1,059.1 1,063.0 1,063.5 (p)1,061.5 (p)2.4 (p)0.2

North Dakota

 446.8 449.7 448.1 (p)448.5 (p)1.7 (p)0.4

Ohio

 5,658.4 5,720.3 5,730.0 (p)5,723.8 (p)65.4 (p)1.2

South Dakota

 468.6 471.9 471.0 (p)473.0 (p)4.4 (p)0.9

Wisconsin

 3,039.4 3,060.1 3,066.9 (p)3,057.1 (p)17.7 (p)0.6

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

Source: Current Employment Statistics - National - State and Metropolitan Area
The Current Employment Statistics (CES) Survey is a monthly survey of business establishments which provides estimates of employment, hours, and earnings data by industry for the nation as a whole, all States, and most major metropolitan areas since 1939. The CES survey is a Federal-State cooperative program in which State employment security agencies prepare the data using concepts, definitions, and technical procedures prescribed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.