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Economy & jobs Statistics · City

Unemployment rate in Rockford

1990 – 2025 · 36 data points 11 of 101 · Towns of Illinois Updated Oct 21, 2026

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 1990 – 2025

Unemployment rate, 1990 – 2025 percent · Rockford · Illinois · United States · World
−2.1 pp since 2015
Rockford Illinois United States World

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics · OECD Regional Database · World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1990 – 2025

Compared with Unemployment rate · percent
Rockford
6.1%
Illinois
4.6%
United States
3.6% · 2023
World
4.8%

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics · OECD Regional Database · World Bank — World Development Indicators

The series at a glance Rockford · 1990 – 2025
Latest value 6.1% · 2025
First value 7.4% · 1990
Highest 16.2% · 2009
Lowest 5.3% · 2000
Data points 36

By year

All years · 1990 – 2025

YearRockfordChange IllinoisUnited StatesWorld
2025 6.1% −0.2 pp 4.6% — 4.8%
2024 6.3% −0.6 pp 5.0% — 4.8%
2023 6.9% +0.2 pp 4.5% 3.6% 4.8%
2022 6.7% −3.3 pp 4.6% 3.7% 5.2%
2021 10.0% −2.7 pp 6.1% 5.4% 6.0%
2020 12.7% +6.4 pp 9.3% 8.1% 6.6%
2019 6.3% −0.2 pp 4.0% 3.7% 5.6%
2018 6.5% −0.7 pp 4.4% 3.9% 5.8%
2017 7.2% −0.1 pp 5.0% 4.4% 5.9%
2016 7.3% −0.9 pp 5.9% 4.9% 6.0%
2015 8.2% −1.4 pp 6.0% 5.3% 6.0%
2014 9.6% −2.5 pp 7.2% 6.2% 6.0%
2013 12.1% −0.1 pp 9.1% 5.3% 6.1%
2012 12.2% −1.6 pp 9.0% 8.1% 6.2%
2011 13.8% −2.1 pp 9.8% 9.0% 6.1%
2010 15.9% −0.3 pp 10.4% 9.6% 6.3%
2009 16.2% +6.3 pp 10.0% 9.3% 6.4%
2008 9.9% +3.0 pp 6.5% 5.8% 5.8%
2007 6.9% +0.8 pp 5.1% 4.6% 5.8%
2006 6.1% −1.0 pp 4.6% 4.6% 6.0%
2005 7.1% −1.0 pp 5.7% 5.1% 6.2%
2004 8.1% −0.9 pp 6.2% 5.5% 6.3%
2003 9.0% +1.4 pp 6.7% 6.0% 6.5%
2002 7.6% +0.5 pp 6.5% 5.8% 6.4%
2001 7.1% +1.8 pp 5.4% 4.8% 6.2%
2000 5.3% −0.7 pp 4.5% 4.0% 6.1%
1999 6.0% +0.3 pp 4.4% 4.2% 6.3%
1998 5.7% ±0.0 pp 4.5% 4.5% 6.2%
1997 5.7% −0.4 pp 4.8% 4.9% 6.0%
1996 6.1% +0.7 pp 5.3% 5.4% 6.0%
1995 5.4% −2.2 pp 5.2% 5.6% 5.9%
1994 7.6% −3.3 pp 5.8% — 5.8%
1993 10.9% −0.1 pp 7.5% — 5.5%
1992 11.0% +1.3 pp 7.9% — 5.3%
1991 9.7% +2.3 pp 7.3% — 5.1%
1990 7.4% 6.3% — —

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics · OECD Regional Database · World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1990 – 2025

Ranking · Towns of Illinois

2015 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryUnemployment rate
1 Harvey 12.0%
2 East St Louis 11.4%
3 Dolton 10.3%
4 Maywood 10.1%
5 Chicago Heights 9.8%
6 Kankakee 9.5%
7 Park Forest 8.9%
8 Alton 8.5%
9 Rockford 8.2%
10 Belvidere 7.8%
11 Danville 7.7%
12 Zion 7.7%
13 Decatur 7.6%
14 Freeport 7.6%
15 Joliet 7.6%
16 North Chicago 7.5%
17 Round Lake Beach 7.5%
18 Pekin 7.3%
19 Carpentersville 7.1%
20 Waukegan 7.1%
21 Lansing 6.9%
22 Peoria 6.9%
23 Chicago 6.7%
24 Cicero 6.7%
25 Elgin 6.7%
…

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2015

What it means

The share of people who want a job and are looking for one but do not have one.

How it is calculated

Unemployed people divided by the labour force (employed plus unemployed), following the international definition; annual average.