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Economy & jobs Statistics · City

Unemployment rate in Waukegan

1990 – 2025 · 36 data points 16 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 · Waukegan · Illinois · United States · World
−1.3 pp since 2015
Waukegan 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
Waukegan
5.8%
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 Waukegan · 1990 – 2025
Latest value 5.8% · 2025
First value 6.1% · 1990
Highest 13.1% · 2009
Lowest 5.2% · 1999
Data points 36

By year

All years · 1990 – 2025

YearWaukeganChange IllinoisUnited StatesWorld
2025 5.8% −0.4 pp 4.6% — 4.8%
2024 6.2% −0.7 pp 5.0% — 4.8%
2023 6.9% +0.9 pp 4.5% 3.6% 4.8%
2022 6.0% −1.5 pp 4.6% 3.7% 5.2%
2021 7.5% −1.8 pp 6.1% 5.4% 6.0%
2020 9.3% +4.1 pp 9.3% 8.1% 6.6%
2019 5.2% −0.4 pp 4.0% 3.7% 5.6%
2018 5.6% +0.1 pp 4.4% 3.9% 5.8%
2017 5.5% −0.8 pp 5.0% 4.4% 5.9%
2016 6.3% −0.8 pp 5.9% 4.9% 6.0%
2015 7.1% −1.5 pp 6.0% 5.3% 6.0%
2014 8.6% −1.8 pp 7.2% 6.2% 6.0%
2013 10.4% ±0.0 pp 9.1% 5.3% 6.1%
2012 10.4% −1.1 pp 9.0% 8.1% 6.2%
2011 11.5% −1.4 pp 9.8% 9.0% 6.1%
2010 12.9% −0.2 pp 10.4% 9.6% 6.3%
2009 13.1% +4.1 pp 10.0% 9.3% 6.4%
2008 9.0% +2.2 pp 6.5% 5.8% 5.8%
2007 6.8% +0.6 pp 5.1% 4.6% 5.8%
2006 6.2% −0.4 pp 4.6% 4.6% 6.0%
2005 6.6% −0.8 pp 5.7% 5.1% 6.2%
2004 7.4% −0.4 pp 6.2% 5.5% 6.3%
2003 7.8% +0.7 pp 6.7% 6.0% 6.5%
2002 7.1% +1.2 pp 6.5% 5.8% 6.4%
2001 5.9% +0.6 pp 5.4% 4.8% 6.2%
2000 5.3% +0.1 pp 4.5% 4.0% 6.1%
1999 5.2% −0.6 pp 4.4% 4.2% 6.3%
1998 5.8% +0.3 pp 4.5% 4.5% 6.2%
1997 5.5% −0.6 pp 4.8% 4.9% 6.0%
1996 6.1% +0.2 pp 5.3% 5.4% 6.0%
1995 5.9% −1.6 pp 5.2% 5.6% 5.9%
1994 7.5% −0.7 pp 5.8% — 5.8%
1993 8.2% +0.2 pp 7.5% — 5.5%
1992 8.0% +0.7 pp 7.9% — 5.3%
1991 7.3% +1.2 pp 7.3% — 5.1%
1990 6.1% 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

2018 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryUnemployment rate
1 East St Louis 9.3%
2 Dolton 7.7%
3 Kankakee 7.7%
4 Danville 7.2%
5 Harvey 7.1%
6 Maywood 6.7%
7 Round Lake Beach 6.7%
8 Chicago Heights 6.5%
9 Rockford 6.5%
10 Decatur 6.3%
11 Belvidere 5.9%
12 Carpentersville 5.9%
13 Park Forest 5.9%
14 Alton 5.7%
15 Zion 5.7%
16 Galesburg 5.6%
17 Pekin 5.6%
18 Peoria 5.6%
19 Waukegan 5.6%
20 North Chicago 5.5%
21 Rock Island 5.5%
22 Freeport 5.4%
23 Belleville 5.2%
24 Elgin 5.2%
25 Lansing 5.2%
…

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2018

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.