In December, there were approximately 180,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in the Quad Cities metro area, which was about 1,600 jobs fewer than the 181,600 jobs in December 2024 (not seasonally adjusted).

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the metro area gained approximately 100 jobs since the end of the third quarter.

In December, the unemployment rate in the metro area was 5.1%, which was up from 4.4% in December 2024. County unemployment rates in the metro area ranged from 4.0% in Scott County to 6.2% in Rock Island County. For comparison, the statewide unemployment rate in Iowa was 3.3% in December. The statewide unemployment rate for Illinois (excluding the Chicago area) was 5.4%. (Unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.)

Unemployment rates during the quarter remained slightly higher than a year ago, as they have for most of 2025. Payroll employment has been running behind 2024 figures for the entire year as well, although the gap between this year and last year has been stable in the last few months. See our Weekly Economic Trends and Indicators blog for regular updates on the Quad Cities employment situation.