How many job openings are there in Illinois?
Data updated December 4, 2024
About 285 thousand, as of September 2024. The number of job openings decreased by 103,000 from September 2023. A “job opening” is defined as a position open on the last business day of the month. To be considered “open,” a job must meet three conditions: (1) There’s work available for the position; (2) The job could start within 30 days; and (3) The employer is actively recruiting.
Showing data for
285K
job openings in Illinois (September 2024)
103K
fewer unfilled jobs in Illinois in September 2024 than in September 2023
The number of job openings is one measure of employer demand for workers and is a commonly referred-to economic indicator. An increase in the number of job openings often indicates the economy is growing, while a decline may indicate slowed growth.
The number of job openings in Illinois has declined over the last year.
Monthly job openings (seasonally adjusted) in Illinois, December 2000–September 2024
Following the Great Recession, monthly job openings in Illinois increased from 98,000 in January 2010 to 266,000 in February 2020. By April 2020, job openings had dropped to 155,000. Job openings in Illinois then reached all-time highs during recovery from the COVID-19 recession. In September 2024, there were 285,000 job openings, down 26.5% from one year prior.
The job openings rate is another way to consider this data. It tells us what percentage of all jobs, filled and unfilled, were open during a given time period. This allows for better comparisons across time, industries, and places by adjusting for differences in the size of the working population.
Subscribe to get unbiased, data-driven insights sent to your inbox weekly.
A similar share of jobs were open in Illinois than in the US overall in September.
Job openings rate (seasonally adjusted), September 2024
In September 2024, 4.4% of all jobs in Illinois were unfilled. This was similar to the job openings rate US-wide.
Job openings also differ across states and regions for many reasons, including differing economies and dominating industries. Illinois’s September job openings rate was lower than 39 states.
In September 2024, Illinois's job openings rate was lower than 39 states.
Seasonally adjusted job openings rate by state, September 2024
Change location to see this data for other areas
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics
Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey
