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Economy & jobs Statistics · Area

Labour force in Cook County

1990 – 2025 · 36 data points 1 of 102 · Regions of Illinois Updated Oct 22, 2026

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

Labour force, 1990 – 2025 people
+3.9% since 2015

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

Compared with Labour force · people
Cook County 2.8M
Illinois 6.6M

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

The series at a glance Cook County · 1990 – 2025
Latest value 2,784,839 · 2025
First value 2,601,521 · 1990
Highest 2,784,839 · 2025
Lowest 2,532,959 · 2005
Average change +0.2% a year on average
Data points 36

By year

All years · 1990 – 2025

YearCook CountyChange Illinois
2025 2,784,839 +0.0% 6.6M
2024 2,783,840 +2.6% 6.6M
2023 2,711,995 +0.3% 6.5M
2022 2,703,173 +2.3% 6.5M
2021 2,641,506 +0.6% 6.4M
2020 2,625,455 −2.5% 6.3M
2019 2,692,380 +0.1% 6.5M
2018 2,688,534 −0.7% 6.6M
2017 2,706,837 −0.9% 6.6M
2016 2,732,644 +2.0% 6.6M
2015 2,680,203 −0.1% 6.6M
2014 2,682,426 −0.6% 6.6M
2013 2,698,590 +0.9% 6.6M
2012 2,673,987 +1.7% 6.6M
2011 2,628,433 −0.1% 6.6M
2010 2,630,611 +2.1% 6.6M
2009 2,576,474 −0.7% 6.6M
2008 2,594,515 +0.3% 6.6M
2007 2,587,017 +1.7% 6.6M
2006 2,544,519 +0.5% 6.5M
2005 2,532,959 −0.9% 6.4M
2004 2,557,217 −0.8% 6.3M
2003 2,576,653 −1.7% 6.3M
2002 2,622,287 −3.3% 6.3M
2001 2,711,323 −1.1% 6.4M
2000 2,742,757 +0.4% 6.5M
1999 2,732,126 +2.0% 6.5M
1998 2,678,470 −0.3% 6.3M
1997 2,687,805 +0.6% 6.3M
1996 2,672,529 +0.4% 6.2M
1995 2,662,578 +0.4% 6.2M
1994 2,652,180 +0.6% 6.1M
1993 2,637,257 +0.5% 6.1M
1992 2,622,973 +1.4% 6M
1991 2,585,864 −0.6% 5.9M
1990 2,601,521 5.9M

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

Ranking · Regions of Illinois

2016 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryLabour force
21 Adams County 34,758
97 Alexander County 2,322
70 Bond County 7,866
25 Boone County 28,058
98 Brown County 2,272
41 Bureau County 17,330
99 Calhoun County 2,145
72 Carroll County 7,481
79 Cass County 6,542
10 Champaign County 106K
42 Christian County 17,265
64 Clark County 8,185
80 Clay County 6,532
35 Clinton County 19,096
30 Coles County 25,018
1 Cook County 2.7M
62 Crawford County 8,468
84 Cumberland County 5,837
68 De Witt County 7,991
18 DeKalb County 54,676
56 Douglas County 10,075
2 DuPage County 499K
61 Edgar County 8,776
92 Edwards County 3,097
38 Effingham County 17,676
…

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2016

What it means

Residents who work or are looking for work.

How it is calculated

Employed plus unemployed residents, annual average.