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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

2022 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryLabour force
1 Cook County 2.7M
2 DuPage County 504K
3 Will County 378K
4 Lake County 364K
5 Kane County 271K
6 McHenry County 173K
7 Winnebago County 133K
8 Madison County 133K
9 St. Clair County 121K
10 Champaign County 108K
11 Sangamon County 96,012
12 McLean County 91,688
13 Peoria County 83,500
14 Kendall County 73,875
15 Rock Island County 67,225
16 Tazewell County 63,325
17 DeKalb County 52,709
18 LaSalle County 52,665
19 Kankakee County 50,453
20 Macon County 45,220
21 Adams County 33,016
22 Vermilion County 31,678
23 Williamson County 30,743
24 Grundy County 28,461
25 Whiteside County 27,191
…

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2022

What it means

Residents who work or are looking for work.

How it is calculated

Employed plus unemployed residents, annual average.