Unemployment Rate Falls and Payrolls Down in August
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced Thursday that the unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in August, down -0.2 percentage point from July, and up +0.4 percentage point from the same month, one year ago, based on data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The revised July unemployment rate was 4.9 percent.
Total nonfarm payrolls decreased over-the-month in August, down -4,400 (-0.1%) to 6,175,600. The July monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from +11,700 to +15,300. The August payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th.
The industry sectors with the largest monthly payroll jobs increases included: Leisure and Hospitality (+1,800), Construction (+1,500), and Professional and Business Services (+1,000). The sectors with the largest over-the-month jobs decreases included: Private Education and Health Services (-6,100), Financial Activities (-1,700), and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (-1,000).
Compared to a year ago, total nonfarm payroll jobs were up +15,000 jobs. The industry groups with the largest jobs increases included: Construction (+13,400), Private Education and Health Services (+9,600), and Other Services (+4,000). The industry groups with the largest jobs decreases included: Financial Activities (-15,800), Information (-2,900) and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (-700). In August, total nonfarm payrolls were up +0.2% over-the-year in Illinois and up +0.4% in the nation.
Pritzker’s record: Illinois unemployment rate averages 3rd-highest in U.S.
Since J.B. Pritzker became governor in 2019, Illinois’ unemployment rate has trended above the national average.
The average rate in Illinois was 5.4% from January 2019, when Pritzker took office, to July 2026, a figure affected at least slightly by COVID. That’s third-highest in the country in that time.
Illinois’ preliminary unemployment rate in July was 4.9%, with over 300,000 residents looking for work. The rate is higher than the 4.6% when Pritzker took office and considerably higher than the national average of 4.1% in July. Under Pritzker, Illinois’ rate has typically been above the national average.
Read more from the Illinois Policy Institute.
Illinois community colleges launch manufacturing academies
A group of five Illinois community colleges announced a coordinated effort to set up a series of manufacturing academies to train Illinois residents. The academies will be located in Illinois Central College (East Peoria), Kaskaskia College (Centralia), Lake Land College (Mattoon), Lewis and Clark College (Godfrey), and Parkland College (Champaign). The academies will concentration on granting certifications to students to enable them to pursue future work in high-tech manufacturing spaces.
Illinois Central College is getting $3 million from the state to upgrade its manufacturing training facilities in East Peoria. The project will renovate about 26,000 square feet, creating more flexible learning spaces and providing more hands-on training for students preparing for their careers. The work will focus on the college’s Agricultural and Industrial Technologies Building, where students train for careers in fields such as welding, electrical work and industrial maintenance. The state capital grant will help modernize and reconfigure the existing space to better meet the needs of students and the changing demands of local manufacturers. Around three out of four students are employed before they finish their program, and 95% are employed within a year of graduation. The upgraded space will serve multiple programs, including Manufacturing Engineering Technology. Illinois Central College administrators said it will take a couple of years for everything to come to fruition.
The coordinated $20.3 million manufacturing academy announcement was made on Monday, September 14.
State pursuing potential new operator for former Tyson beef facility in Joslin
Last week, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced that the State of Illinois is making resources available through the Invest in Illinois Fund to help attract potential buyers for the former Tyson Foods beef facility in Joslin. The goal is to return the facility to productive use, support jobs and the Illinois beef industry, sustain economic activity in the Quad Cities region, and assist with establishing additional beef production capacity on behalf of consumers.
“The closure of the Tyson facility in Joslin has had a profound impact on workers, families and communities across Joslin and the Quad Cities,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “My administration, in partnership with the General Assembly, is committed to doing everything we can to support them and help the region move forward. Making the Invest in Illinois Fund resources available gives us another tool to strengthen the search for a buyer and position this facility to once again support jobs and bolster the region’s economy.”
This latest action comes following last month’s announcement from Tyson Foods that it would end operations at its Joslin, Illinois, and Eagle City, Utah, facilities as part of a broader restructuring of its beef business citing historic cattle shortages, which impacted nearly 2,500 employees at the Illinois location. In response, the State has mobilized its workforce and economic development resources to assist affected employees while simultaneously working to identify opportunities for continued investment at the site.
Despite the immediate challenges facing the beef industry, the Joslin site remains a significant asset. The facility offers large scale infrastructure, an experienced workforce, access to agricultural supply chains, and proximity to major transportation networks. These advantages could support continued food production or other industrial activity under a new operator.
“This investment by the State is a great help to Illinois’ farm families and consumers as it can facilitate a new operator moving into the plant in Rock Island County. We have more than 14,000 family farms across the state raising cattle and we need this market reopened to keep our industry growing across rural Illinois,” said Illinois Beef Association Executive Vice President Josh St. Peters. “Consumers have enjoyed access to some of the best beef in the country through the processing capacity at Joslin, and we can get back to shipping that product to Illinois’ grocery stores and restaurants when this new incentive helps a buyer secure the existing facility.”
The State’s support is intended to strengthen Illinois’ position in discussions with prospective buyers and help facilitate a transition that could preserve the Illinois beef industry, jobs and economic opportunity in the Quad Cities region. The State is working with local and regional partners to identify potential operators and explore opportunities to put the facility back into productive use. At this time, the State has not committed to a specific company, or a specific amount of money, tied to the fund.
Earlier this month, the State partnered with local workforce providers to host a rapid response event in Moline. The event brought together more than 1,000 affected workers, employers and workforce partners from across the region including participants from both Illinois and Iowa. Workers were able to meet directly with prospective employers and learn about available jobs, training programs, unemployment assistance and other support services.
The State will continue providing workforce assistance while engaging with prospective buyers, regional economic development organizations, local governments, and community leaders. The goal is to secure a sustainable long-term use for the facility that brings investment back to the site and brings job opportunities back to the Quad Cities region.
“The Joslin facility represents an important economic asset for our region and the State of Illinois, and we should be aggressive in pursuing every opportunity to return it to productive use,” said Leader Ryan Spain. “I appreciate the State making these resources available to strengthen our ability to compete for a new operator, attract private investment, and restore jobs and economic activity at this site. State and local leaders must continue working together to position the Quad Cities for new investment, quality jobs, and long-term economic growth.”
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