Ogle, Lee and DeKalb Counties See Unemployment Rates Fall

ROCHELLE – Unemployment rates fell in Ogle, Lee and DeKalb counties in August compared with the same month last year, according to data released Thursday by the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Ogle County’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.6% from 4.6% in August 2025, while Lee County fell to 3.7% from 4.6% and DeKalb County declined to 3.7% from 4.7%. Ogle County had a 1 percentage point decrease, while Lee County fell 0.9 percentage points and DeKalb County dropped 1 percentage point. Ogle County’s total nonfarm employment declined by 350 jobs from a year earlier, with gains in government and construction offset by losses in manufacturing, private education and health services, financial activities, professional and business services, trade, transportation and utilities, leisure and hospitality, and other services. Statewide, unemployment rates decreased in 96 counties.