The over-the-year Quad Cities unemployment rate decreased by -0.1% to 5% in November, making it one of just two metropolitan statistical areas to record a drop in the number of people looking for work, the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) said.
At the same time, however, IDES reported on Thursday, Jan. 15, the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island Section of the MSA was one of a scant handful of regions to record a loss in total nonfarm jobs over the year for the month ending November 30, 2025. (There was no October 2025 metro area report due to the federal government shutdown, IDES said.)
In all, the metro areas which posted the largest not seasonally adjusted over-the-year November percentage decreases in total nonfarm jobs were the Quad Cities Illinois Section, down -2.0% or -1,800 jobs; the Bloomington MSA, down -1.5% or -1,500 jobs; and a tie between the Elgin MSA, -1.4% or -4,100 jobs; and the Kankakee MSA, down -1.4% or -600.
The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Lake County Metro Division, +0.6% or +2,000 jobs; the Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg Metro Division, +0.5% or +17,500; and the Decatur MSA; +0.4% or +200.
“Chicago’s job market remains resilient, reaching a record number of November jobs and sustaining nearly a year and a half of growth,” Deputy Governor Andy Manar said in IDES latest report. “However, uncertainty coming out of Washington is driving higher unemployment in many metro areas, and Illinois will continue making smart, long-term investments to strengthen our workforce and support employers statewide.”
QC by the numbers
In total, the November unemployment rate increased over-the-year in 94 countie. It decreased in seven counties, and was unchanged in one county.
In the Quad Cities Illinois section, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decrease to 5% in November 2025 from 5.1% in November 2024 also came with payroll losses across most sectors.
Only the Other Services category recorded a +100 job increase over the year in the QC Illinois MSA. Meanwhile in that same period, Professional-Business Services was down -800 jobs; Manufacturing was down -200; Retail Trade was down -200; Financial Activities was down -200; Leisure-Hospitality was down -200; and Mining-Construction was down -100; Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities was down -100; and Information was down -100 sectors recorded employment declines over-the-year.
According to IDES, the November 2025 unemployment rate compared to November 2024 in the Illinois Quad Cities MSA by county were:
- Henry County – 4.7% down from 4.8%.
- Mercer County – 4.6% unchanged from 4.6%.
- Rock Island County – 5.1% down from 5.3%.
Year over year the November unemployment rates by area cities included:
- Galesburg – 5.6% up from 4.6%.
- Moline – 5.0% down from 5.5%.
- Rock Island – 5.2% down from 5.4%.
The unemployment rate identifies those who are out of work and seeking employment. A person who exhausts benefits, or is ineligible, still will be reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.
