The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced Thursday that the unemployment rate was 5.1 percent in April, unchanged from March, and up +0.6 percentage point from the same month, one year ago, based on data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The revised March unemployment rate was 5.1 percent.
The April 2026 IDES report was especially dramatic in terms of the specific economic sectors where jobs are declining in Illinois. Four key sectors, which are driving job growth in many other parts of the U.S. and the world, are entirely absent from the growth picture of Illinois.
Sector Net loss of IL jobs over past 12 months
Professional and Business Services Down 14,300 jobs
Trade, Transportation and Utilities Down 9,900 jobs
Financial Activities Down 6.900 jobs
Manufacturing Down 4,400 jobs
At 5.1%, the April 2026 Illinois unemployment rate was 60 basis points higher than one year earlier (4.5%), and 80 basis points higher than the U.S. unemployment rate (4.3%).
State Representative Mike Coffey says Illinois needs to do more to create long-term jobs and ensure residents have the opportunities they need to obtain job security.
“There’s no reason the state of Illinois should have a 5.1% unemployment rate,” Coffey said. “The policies we enact either have a positive or negative impact, and I think lawmakers need to re-evaluate current legislation. We have the resources to let businesses and workers thrive, but we need less regulations and more opportunities.”