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County Employment and Wages in Illinois — Fourth Quarter 2024
Employment rose in 7 of the 12 largest counties with published data in Illinois from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Julie Wilson noted that Champaign County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 1.8 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)
Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Illinois, December 2024
County
Percent change, December 2024
Champaign
1.8
Madison
0.8
Will
0.8
Winnebago
0.7
McHenry
0.6
Cook
0.2
Kane
0.2
DuPage
0.0
St. Clair
0.0
Lake
-0.3
Peoria
-1.1
McLean
-2.4
Among the 13 largest counties in Illinois, employment was highest in Cook (2,589,400) in December 2024. Together, the 13 largest counties accounted for 80 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 369 largest counties comprise 73.3 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2023.)
Large county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter 2024
Twelve of the thirteen large Illinois counties reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Sangamon had the largest gain (+6.5 percent). Over-the-year wage changes among Illinois’ other 12 large counties ranged from 5.7 percent to -7.7 percent.
Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Illinois, fourth quarter 2024
County
Percent change, fourth quarter 2024
Sangamon
6.5
Champaign
5.7
Peoria
5.6
DuPage
5.1
Winnebago
4.7
Kane
4.4
Cook
4.3
Madison
4.1
McLean
4.0
Will
4.0
St. Clair
3.7
McHenry
3.4
Lake
-7.7
Weekly wages in 3 of the 13 largest counties in Illinois were above the national average of $1,507. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,729 in Cook to $1,121 in McHenry.
Smaller county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter of 2024
Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 89 small counties in Illinois, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2023. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 86 of the 89 smaller counties were below the national average. Montgomery reported the highest average weekly wage ($3,770). Pope reported the lowest average weekly wage ($729) in the state.
Among all 102 Illinois counties, 20 reported average weekly wages of less than $950, 24 registered wages from $950 to $1,024, 17 had wages from $1,025 to $1,099, 20 reported wages from $1,100 to $1,174, and 21 had average weekly wages of $1,175 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)
Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in Illinois, fourth quarter 2024
(U.S. average = $1,507)
Additional statistics and other information
QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.
Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.
The County Employment and Wages release for the first quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.
QCEW Moves to One Data Release Beginning with Fourth Quarter 2024 Publication
The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) is streamlining its release process. Beginning with the fourth quarter 2024 national release on June 4, QCEW will publish the national County Employment and Wages news release on the same date as the QCEW full data update. Revised news release dates are available online.
Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the 13 largest counties in Illinois, fourth quarter 2024
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. (3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (5) Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Illinois, fourth quarter 2024
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, fourth quarter 2024
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (3) Data not included in the national ranking.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
United States Department of Labor
