Employment declined in 7 of the 13 largest counties in Illinois from September 2024 to September 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that Sangamon County had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment, with a loss of 2.0 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Illinois, September 2025

County	Percent change, September 2025
Sangamon	-2.0
McLean	-1.7
Kane	-1.5
Winnebago	-1.5
Lake	-0.6
Peoria	-0.6
Cook	-0.1
DuPage	0.1
Madison	0.1
St. Clair	0.1
McHenry	0.3
Champaign	0.8
Will	0.8

Among the 13 largest counties in Illinois, employment was highest in Cook (2,596,400) in September 2025. Together, the 13 largest counties accounted for 80.2 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.2 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 2024.)

All 13 large Illinois counties reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) McLean had the largest gain (+5.4 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Illinois’ other 12 large counties ranged from 4.6 percent to 3.3 percent.

  

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Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Illinois, third quarter 2025

County	Percent change, third quarter 2025
McLean	5.4
Peoria	4.6
St. Clair	4.6
Will	4.6
Sangamon	4.4
Cook	4.2
Kane	4.1
Madison	3.7
McHenry	3.6
DuPage	3.5
Winnebago	3.4
Champaign	3.3
Lake	3.3

Weekly wages in 3 of the 13 largest counties in Illinois were above the national average of $1,459. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,618 in Cook to $1,074 in McHenry.

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 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all 89 smaller counties were below the national average. Henderson reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,420). Calhoun reported the lowest average weekly wage ($739) in the state.

Among all 102 Illinois counties, 21 reported average weekly wages of less than $925, 19 registered wages from $925 to $999, 23 had wages from $1,000 to $1,074, 18 reported wages from $1,075 to $1,149, and 21 had average weekly wages of $1,150 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)