(Stacker) - Unemployment rates are rising across U.S. metropolitan areas, provoking alarm across the nation and likely leading to interest rate cuts in September.

As of July, unemployment rates increased in 350 out of 389 U.S. metros areas—including 47 of the 51 largest metros, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Illinois, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in July 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

The national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 4.3%. Still, it's up substantially from 3.5% during the same month last year and has climbed to the highest rate since November 2021. By comparison, unemployment rates surged to 10% in October 2009 during the Great Recession, and a full recovery took years. At the height of the brief COVID-19 recession in April 2020, unemployment hit 14.7%.

The Federal Reserve has shifted its focus from curbing inflation to unemployment, indicating plans to cut interest rates in the coming weeks and months to alleviate economic strain and avoid further job losses.

Since last year, unemployment has spiked in over half of states—a signal often indicating a looming recession, as Piper Sandler Chief Global Economist Nancy Lazar told Business Insider. These jobless rates, paired with layoffs among major U.S. employers like Google and Tesla, have sparked concern among Americans. Minus a major economic blow, economists continue to forecast that the U.S. is tracking toward an incremental slowdown in growth known as a "soft landing."

To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Illinois.

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Eddie J. Rodriquez // Shutterstock

#50. Marshall County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,235 people (304 unemployed)

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#49. Whiteside County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,356 people (1,642 unemployed)

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#48. Jackson County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,307 people (1,653 unemployed)

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#47. DeKalb County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 56,066 people (3,264 unemployed)

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#46. Kendall County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 74,452 people (4,324 unemployed)

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#45. St. Clair County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 130,448 people (7,608 unemployed)

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#44. Henderson County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,697 people (218 unemployed)

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#43. Wayne County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,955 people (409 unemployed)

Tabitha L Jozwick // Shutterstock

#42. Warren County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,269 people (484 unemployed)

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#41. Fayette County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,827 people (578 unemployed)

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#40. Union County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,192 people (429 unemployed)

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#39. Montgomery County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,717 people (701 unemployed)

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#38. Henry County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 23,763 people (1,420 unemployed)

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#37. Kane County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 275,083 people (16,608 unemployed)

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#36. Stark County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,437 people (148 unemployed)

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#35. Clark County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,344 people (447 unemployed)

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#34. Coles County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 23,093 people (1,403 unemployed)

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#33. Rock Island County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 67,621 people (4,124 unemployed)

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#32. Putnam County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 3,098 people (191 unemployed)

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#31. Pike County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,844 people (425 unemployed)

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#30. Christian County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,743 people (851 unemployed)

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#29. Mason County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,160 people (387 unemployed)

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#28. Fulton County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,803 people (936 unemployed)

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#27. Jefferson County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,737 people (1,055 unemployed)

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#26. Marion County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,184 people (1,083 unemployed)

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#25. Will County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 2.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 377,541 people (23,748 unemployed)

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#24. Logan County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,367 people (727 unemployed)

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#23. Gallatin County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,081 people (135 unemployed)

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#22. Saline County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,963 people (644 unemployed)

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#21. Kankakee County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 53,309 people (3,530 unemployed)

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#20. Massac County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,586 people (377 unemployed)

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#19. Bureau County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,786 people (1,062 unemployed)

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#18. Knox County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,936 people (1,404 unemployed)

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#17. Peoria County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 84,720 people (5,691 unemployed)

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#16. Winnebago County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 135,551 people (9,024 unemployed)

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#15. Cook County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 2.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2.7 million people (182,086 unemployed)

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#14. Clay County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,721 people (391 unemployed)

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#13. Grundy County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 2.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,966 people (1,830 unemployed)

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#12. LaSalle County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 52,781 people (3,583 unemployed)

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#11. Boone County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,440 people (1,782 unemployed)

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Roberto Galan // Shutterstock

#10. Johnson County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,227 people (301 unemployed)

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#9. McDonough County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,063 people (855 unemployed)

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#8. Franklin County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,455 people (1,166 unemployed)

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#7. Perry County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,826 people (561 unemployed)

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#6. Lawrence County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,098 people (374 unemployed)

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#5. Macon County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 46,069 people (3,414 unemployed)

Roberto Galan // Shutterstock

#4. Vermilion County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 32,811 people (2,598 unemployed)

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#3. Hardin County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,480 people (118 unemployed)

Roberto Galan // Shutterstock

#2. Alexander County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.6%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,839 people (158 unemployed)

Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock

#1. Pulaski County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 10.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,631 people (163 unemployed)

This story features data reporting and writing by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

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