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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

2021 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryLabour force
1 Cook County 2.6M
2 DuPage County 483K
3 Lake County 366K
4 Will County 362K
5 Kane County 268K
6 McHenry County 165K
7 Winnebago County 135K
8 Madison County 133K
9 St. Clair County 123K
10 Champaign County 107K
11 Sangamon County 95,370
12 McLean County 88,442
13 Peoria County 84,300
14 Kendall County 71,237
15 Rock Island County 67,819
16 Tazewell County 63,019
17 LaSalle County 53,468
18 DeKalb County 51,986
19 Kankakee County 50,961
20 Macon County 45,886
21 Adams County 33,195
22 Vermilion County 31,493
23 Williamson County 31,044
24 Whiteside County 27,166
25 Grundy County 26,992
…

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021

What it means

Residents who work or are looking for work.

How it is calculated

Employed plus unemployed residents, annual average.