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.)

  

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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.)

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.

  

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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.

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.)

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

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.