Openings
219K
Dec 2025
Illinois Labor Market
JOLTS data - latest: Dec 2025
219K
Job Openings
217K
Hires
124K
Quits
63K
Layoffs
Illinois Labor Market Overview
As of Dec 2025, Illinois reported 219K job openings and 217K hires, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics JOLTS survey. Employers filled roughly 99% of available positions during this period, indicating strong hiring momentum relative to demand.
Voluntary quits reached 124K (2.0% rate). That's more than the 63K layoffs and discharges reported, a ratio that tends to track with employee confidence rather than employer-driven cuts.
Compared to a year ago, job openings in Illinois declined by 23.7%, a notable contraction that may reflect cooling demand or industry shifts.
Illinois job openings over time
Monthly job openings in Illinois from the BLS JOLTS survey, in thousands. The current openings rate is 3.4%.
Hires
217K
Dec 2025
Quits rate
2.0%
Voluntary turnover
Layoffs rate
—
Involuntary turnover
Monthly Trends
Openings Hires
Jan 2019 Dec 2025
How Illinois Compares
Illinois's JOLTS metrics ranked against all 51 states and DC, Dec 2025.
Other State Labor Markets
Frequently Asked Questions
How many job openings are there in Illinois? ▼
Illinois had 219K job openings as of Dec 2025, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' JOLTS program.
How many people were hired in Illinois recently? ▼
Illinois recorded 217K hires in Dec 2025, according to the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. This tallies all payroll additions in the period, regardless of whether headcount grew overall.
What is the quits rate in Illinois? ▼
124K workers voluntarily quit their jobs in Illinois during Dec 2025. The quits rate was 2.0%. Quits are a closely-watched confidence signal, workers tend to leave voluntarily only when they expect to find something better.
How many layoffs happened in Illinois? ▼
There were 63K layoffs and discharges in Illinois during Dec 2025. The count covers every employer-initiated separation in the period, both permanent layoffs and for-cause discharges.
What are total separations in Illinois? ▼
Total separations in Illinois reached 194K in Dec 2025. Separations is the broadest JOLTS turnover measure, it sums voluntary and involuntary departures plus retirements and internal transfers.
Understanding Labor Data
Data source
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).
PlainLabor is not affiliated with the BLS or any government agency.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, JOLTS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, state-level data · 2025-12 JOLTS measures job openings, hires, and total separations (quits + layoffs + other) by state. Data is monthly with about a 1-month publication lag.