Illinois unemployment sits above the national rate and has risen over the year while job counts hold flat. For employers, that means more applicants per opening and a bigger screening job.
Illinois unemployment is 4.7%, above the U.S. rate of 4.2% and up from 4.3% a year earlier. Total nonfarm jobs moved +0.2% over the same period, which is essentially flat. More people are looking, and the number of jobs is not growing much.
For hiring teams, that shifts the problem. Finding applicants is less of a struggle than sorting them quickly and fairly. A posting for warehouse, clinic or contact-center work can pull a large pile of candidates, and the strongest ones still accept the first solid offer they get. Speed of screening and speed of reply decide who you land.
Illinois also has rules that shape the process from the first posting: pay scales and benefits in job ads, limits on when you can ask about criminal history, and a statewide wage floor of $15.00. The tables below cover the labor market, pay, industry mix and rules. The text around them turns that data into steps you can take this month.
With unemployment at 4.7%, a job openings rate of 3.3%, a hires rate of 3.7% and a quits rate of 2.1%, Illinois is a market with available talent and fewer people walking away from jobs. Expect bigger applicant pools, and plan your screening capacity around volume rather than scarcity.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, CES, JOLTS). "Preliminary" figures may be revised. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
| Occupation | 10th pct. | Median | 90th pct. | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales representatives of services | $18.53 | $32.17 | $74.07 | 69,910 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing | $21.22 | $35.34 | $64.44 | 51,310 |
| Telemarketers | $15.00 | $15.00 | $34.30 | 870 |
| Customer service representatives | $16.15 | $22.18 | $34.33 | 100,970 |
| Retail salespersons | $15.00 | $17.00 | $23.08 | 126,610 |
| Cashiers | $15.00 | $16.58 | $18.50 | 139,630 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers | $15.28 | $19.50 | $26.84 | 195,390 |
| Fast food and counter workers | $15.00 | $16.30 | $17.95 | 127,590 |
| Janitors and cleaners | $15.17 | $18.18 | $24.04 | 93,760 |
| Sales managers | $37.87 | $74.65 | $136.00 | 32,240 |
Several entry-level roles have a 10th percentile at $15.00, so the state minimum sets the floor for cashiers, fast food workers and telemarketers. Customer service reps ($22.18 median vs $21.53 nationally) and cashiers ($16.58 vs $15.81) pay above national medians, while services sales reps span $18.53 to $74.07, a spread driven by commission.
1.22 million jobs · 19.7% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
At 19.7% of jobs and a change of −0.1%, trade and transportation is stable but not expanding, so warehouse, driver and retail hiring is mostly replacement hiring where fast, repeatable screening matters more than wider sourcing.
1.04 million jobs · 16.8% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Education and health services grew +0.9%, the fastest among top sectors, so expect more competition for aides and medical assistants and move qualified candidates to interview within a day or two.
908,700 jobs · 14.7% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Professional and business services held at 0.0%, which points to steady churn in contact-center and sales roles where pay ranges and commission structure should be clear from the first message.
606,900 jobs · 9.8% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Leisure and hospitality grew +0.2% and holds 9.8% of jobs, so servers, cooks and housekeeping staff are hired in waves that call for bulk messaging and quick interview booking.
571,400 jobs · 9.3% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Manufacturing added +0.6%, ahead of most top sectors, so production and machine operator candidates may weigh several offers and respond best to short, direct outreach with shift and pay details.
Trade, transportation, and utilities is the largest sector at 19.7% of jobs but slipped −0.1%, while Private education and health services grew fastest at +0.9%. Competition for candidates is strongest in healthcare and manufacturing, where headcount is still rising.
The rules above are a general summary of Illinois requirements on background checks, fair chance hiring, minimum wage, non-competes and pay transparency, not legal advice. Confirm how each applies to your roles with the Illinois Department of Labor, the Illinois Department of Human Rights or your own employment counsel.
Illinois bars employer credit checks except for specified job types, and protects arrest records and convictions under the Human Rights Act.
Illinois employers with 15 or more employees may not ask about criminal history until an applicant is picked for an interview or receives a conditional offer.
Illinois' minimum wage is $15.00 an hour for workers 18 and older since January 1, 2025, with no further state increase scheduled.
Illinois voids employee non-competes for workers earning $75,000 a year or less and non-solicitation covenants for those earning $45,000 or less, and sets extra requirements for higher earners.
Illinois employers with 15 or more employees must include the pay scale and benefits in job postings for work done in or reporting to Illinois.
General information, not legal advice.
Employment rules change and have exceptions that depend on employer size, industry and facts. This summary reflects the sources shown as of the dates shown (legal sources checked October 15, 2026). Confirm requirements with the relevant agency or qualified counsel before acting. For a deeper look at Illinois's hiring-compliance laws, see our Illinois hiring compliance guide.
Unemployment at 4.7% and rising means more applicants per posting. Set your must-have criteria before you post, then rank and shortlist against them instead of reading every resume in order. Phone screens can run automatically so recruiters spend time only on qualified candidates.
A bigger pool does not make good candidates wait. With a hires rate of 3.7%, employers are filling roles steadily, and strong applicants get picked up fast. Send a text acknowledgment and a booking link the same day someone applies, with their consent to receive texts.
Illinois requires covered employers to include the pay scale and benefits in job postings. For services sales roles, where pay runs from $18.53 to $74.07, state the base and explain how commission works so candidates can compare offers. Lock the pay and benefits section in your templates so it is never left out.
Illinois limits criminal history questions until a candidate is selected for interview or receives a conditional offer, for employers covered by the rule. Review your application forms, knockout questions and phone screening scripts so none of them ask early. Confirm the details with counsel.
Many entry-level roles start at $15.00, so pay alone rarely sets you apart at the bottom of the range. Fast food workers earn a median of $16.30 against $15.00 nationally. Lead with schedule, start date and a quick interview, and make it easy to say yes.
Illinois hiring is a volume and speed problem: more applicants, flat job growth and rules that shape every posting. AI-Powered Candidate Ranking parses resumes and builds shortlists against your own criteria, so a large pool becomes a short list quickly. AI Voice Calls & Call Screening phones candidates and feeds results back into your pipeline. The Recruiting Template Library lets you lock legal and EEO sections, so pay and benefits language stays in place across every location and recruiter.
The state minimum wage for workers 18 and older is $15.00, and many entry-level roles have a 10th percentile at that level. Medians run higher for some roles, such as $17.00 for retail salespersons and $19.50 for laborers and material movers. Use the wage table to set a range that fits the role and your market position.
Illinois requires employers with a covered number of employees to include the pay scale and benefits in postings for work done in or reporting to Illinois. This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm coverage and details with the Illinois Department of Labor or your counsel.
Under the Illinois fair chance rule, covered employers may not ask until an applicant is selected for an interview or receives a conditional offer. Illinois also protects arrest records and convictions under the Human Rights Act and bars credit checks except for specified job types. Check your process with counsel before changing it.
Yes, texting is a common way to reach candidates quickly. Get clear opt-in consent before sending texts, usually on the application form, and honor STOP or opt-out requests right away. Keep messages related to the application and identify your company in each thread.
Yes. Unemployment of 4.7% means more applicants, but strong candidates still take the first good offer. Respond the same day, offer self-service interview booking and send reminders so qualified people do not drift to another employer.
Define your must-have criteria first, then rank and shortlist against them. Use bulk messaging to update candidates you are not moving forward and to invite the shortlist to book interviews. That keeps every applicant informed without tying up recruiter time.
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Sources and data currency
Labor data as of August 2026; wage data May 2025; rules checked October 15, 2026. Next scheduled review: January 14, 2027. This page is educational market information for employers.
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