March 2026 | Released May 06, 2026

Download the full PDF for Illinois

Download the summary PDF for Illinois

United States

Employment snapshot

• In March, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 14, rose in 10, and remained unchanged in 27.

• The highest unemployment rate was 6.3 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 2.3 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 4.3 percent.

• In March, payroll jobs rose in 35 states and fell in 15. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Tennessee. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.2 percent in Hawaii, Montana, and Oregon.

Illinois

Employment snapshot

• In March, Illinois added 8,400 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 5.1 percent. In the prior month, Illinois lost 17,900 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Illinois lost 4,300 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.5 percentage points from 4.6 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 178,000 in March, or 0.1 percent. Illinois is tied for 25th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In March, Illinois’s private sector added 7,000 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it lost 7,900 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Illinois lost 18,300 net private payroll jobs.

• In March, employment in Illinois fell by 5,478, and over the past 12 months it fell by 82,897.

• Illinois’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 64 percent in March and ranks 15th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has fallen by 0.6 percentage points.

---

Illinois

Payroll employment

• Illinois added 8,400 net payroll jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during March. In the prior month, Illinois lost 17,900 jobs. Illinois nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 6 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 178,000 in March, or 0.1 percent. Illinois is tied for 25th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Illinois added 7,000 private sector jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during March. In the prior month, Illinois lost 18,300 jobs. Illinois private sector payroll employment has increased in 6 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 186,000 jobs in March, or 0.1 percent. Illinois is tied for 31st in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

From February 2026 to March 2026:

• The best performing sectors were Private Education and Health Services (+7,900) and State and Local Government (+1,600).
• The worst performing sectors were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-2,000) and Financial Activities (-800).

From March 2025 to March 2026:

• The best performing sectors were Private Education and Health Services (+21,700) and State and Local Government (+8,400).
• The worst performing sectors were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-18,900) and Professional and Business Services (-6,700).

Illinois

Labor force

The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.

• The labor force participation rate in Illinois remained unchanged at 64 percent in March.

• Illinois ranks 15th in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Illinois was 65.6 percent occurring in March 2016, and the 10-year low was 61.8 percent in June 2020.

• The national labor force participation rate fell by 0.1 percentage points to 61.9 percent in March.