Illinois Ranks 33rd for Employment, Trails Missouri
Illinois employers should expect a tighter hiring pool than neighboring Missouri, where the state ranks 14th overall.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Employment
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WalletHub ranked Illinois 33rd among states for employment in its October 28 "Best & Worst States for Jobs" report, while neighboring Missouri placed 14th. Illinois workers and employers in the state's job market should note the middling ranking, which weighs job opportunities and unemployment heavily.
Why it matters
The ranking draws on job market and economic environment metrics, areas where Illinois scored poorly, with a 47th-place showing for both job opportunities and unemployment. For operators hiring in Illinois, a weak position on these measures signals a tighter labor pool and a state economy that may be harder to grow into than its neighbor's.
Illinois' 4.6% unemployment rate in September ran above the national 4.2% figure, and the state ranked 47th on both job opportunities and unemployment in WalletHub's composite. The St. Louis Missouri-Illinois metro area recorded a lower 3.4% unemployment rate, a figure the source ties to the broader regional picture.
The players
WalletHub
A personal finance website that publishes comparative state rankings using public government and employment data.
U.S. Census Bureau
The federal agency that collects population and economic data used to measure employment and economic conditions across states.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
The federal agency that publishes the national and state unemployment and employment figures businesses rely on for labor-market planning.
Indeed.com
An online job-search platform whose hiring and job-posting data reflect current employer demand across markets.
The details
WalletHub built its ranking from job market and economic environment measures, drawing on Census Bureau, BLS, and Indeed.com data. Illinois landed 37th on the job market measure and 30th on the economic environment measure, which together pulled its overall placement to 33rd. Missouri's stronger 12th-place job market score helped lift it to 14th overall.
Timeline
December 2021: Start of the period when job openings declined in Illinois and nationwide.
December 2025: End of the period when job openings declined in Illinois and nationwide.
September: Illinois unemployment rate of 4.6% recorded.
October 28: WalletHub released its Best & Worst States for Jobs report.
Market Landscape
The weaker Illinois placement fits a multi-year decline in job openings that Bureau of Labor Statistics data documents in the state and nationwide from December 2021 through December 2025. Missouri's higher overall standing puts it in a more favorable competitive position for employers recruiting from the same regional labor pool.
Illinois operators should factor the state's weak job-opportunity and unemployment standing into hiring plans, recognizing a smaller pool of candidates relative to neighboring markets. Businesses that compete for talent across the St. Louis metro should weigh the lower regional unemployment rate on the Missouri side when planning recruitment.
The takeaway
The ranking's clearest operating signal is the gap between Illinois' job market score and its job opportunity score, which points to where employer demand is thinnest. Operators should track the next Bureau of Labor Statistics state release to see whether the job openings decline reverses.
Further reading
For broader context on hiring conditions across the state, see the Employment coverage for Illinois.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Belleville News-Democrat.
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