EDWARDSVILLE/ALTON — In Southwestern Illinois, the Illinois section of the St. Louis, Missouri-Illinois MSA had a July unemployment rate of 3.5%, down from 4.5% in July 2025. Total nonfarm employment in the area decreased by 800 jobs from a year earlier.
Madison County’s unemployment rate was 3.5% in July, compared with 4.4% a year earlier. Jersey County was at 3.3%, down from 4.1%. Calhoun County was at 3.7%, down from 4.7%. Macoupin County was at 3.7%, down from 4.7%. St. Clair County was at 3.8%, down from 4.8%.
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Among listed cities, Edwardsville had the lowest July 2026 unemployment rate at 3.1%, compared with 4.3% in July 2025. Alton was at 4.8%, down from 5.3%. Granite City was at 4.2%, down from 5.3%. East St. Louis was at 6.4%, down from 8.1%.
“Illinois’ economy continues to show its resilience, with Chicago reaching a record number of jobs and Lake County marking eight months of job growth in July, even in the face of ongoing instability of federal economic policies,” Deputy Gov. Andy Manar said. “These gains reflect the strength of Illinois workers and employers, and we will continue to prioritize investments that strengthen our workforce, support employers, and position Illinois for continued growth.”
Statewide, Illinois had 6,203,000 total nonfarm jobs in July 2026, up 15,700 from 6,187,300 in July 2025. The statewide unemployment rate was 4.6% in July, compared with 4.7% a year earlier.
Unemployment rates fell in 11 of Illinois’ 12 metropolitan areas and rose in one for the year ending in July 2026, while total nonfarm jobs increased in four metro areas and declined in eight, according to not seasonally adjusted data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
Industries with job growth in a majority of the 12 metro areas included private education and health services, which grew in 10 areas; mining and construction, which grew in nine; and transportation, warehousing and utilities, which grew in seven.
The largest unemployment rate decrease was in the Illinois section of the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island MSA, down 1.5 percentage points to 3.7%. Decatur fell 1.2 points to 4.9%, and Rockford fell 1.2 points to 4.3%.
In the Illinois section of the St. Louis MSA, private education-health services added 900 jobs, financial activities added 200, and leisure-hospitality added 100. Declines were reported in professional-business services, down 700; transportation-warehousing-utilities, down 600; manufacturing, down 200; government, down 200; wholesale trade, down 200; and mining-construction, down 100.
The data are preliminary for July 2026 and revised for July 2025.
The agencies said the metro area data are not seasonally adjusted and should be compared with the same month in prior years because seasonal factors can affect monthly totals.
