Skilled Workforce

Illinois provides the talent pool that will take a company to the next level. With a total labor force of 6.5 million people, and a wide range of experience and skills, Illinois supports the most in-demand fields.

For example, Illinois is in the top ten most concentrated transportation and material moving workforces and top five largest talent pool of transportation and material movers in the nation. Illinois is also the #1 state in the Midwest for Business according to CNBC.

Whether from the state's world class universities or its unique workforce development programs, Illinois has the talent your company needs.

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Talent & Workforce

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Higher Education Institutions

Higher Education Institutions 

Illinois’ 238 postsecondary institutions fuel one of its greatest assets: its talented workforce. The state has two of the top ten universities in the U.S. (University of Chicago and Northwestern University). The University of Illinois graduates more engineers each year than MIT, Stanford, and Caltech combined.. A leader in specialized education, the state is home to two of the top five business schools in the U.S.: University of Chicago Booth School of Business (#4) and Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management (#2).

Many Illinois institutions partner with businesses and incubators to create custom training programs, such as the UIUC Research Park, Argonne National Laboratory and the Illinois Science and Tech Park. Illinois’ education pipeline starts early, with 679 nationally ranked public high schools and a #4 national ranking for Pre-K-12 education.

Each year, the corporate talent pipeline is fueled by over 25,000 annual green job-ready completions and the #3 largest number of annual computer science degrees in the nation.

Whether in advanced manufacturing, agribusiness, electric vehicles, life sciences, or quantum computing, Illinois’ workforce out-scales its Midwest neighbors. We have the talent you need to power your business.

Upskilling Illinois’ Workforce

Investing in training and retaining top talent is a priority for Illinois. The state offers a variety of workforce development programs and resources, including the #3 largest community college system in the nation, serving more than 550,000 residents annually. Illinois’ Manufacturing Training Academies, such as the Heartland Community College EVES and Southwestern Illinois College Advanced Manufacturing Center, enable the state to train Illinoisans for in-demand positions in fields like enable local community colleges to train Illinoisans for in-demand positions in fields such as electric vehicle production and advanced manufacturing.

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Workforce Upskilling

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Explore the Data

Key Data

  • Labor force of 6.5 million people (#1 Midwest, Top 10 U.S.)
  • 39.2% of Illinoisans hold a bachelor's degree or higher
  • #3 U.S. for Education (CNBC Top States for Business 2025)
  • #1 Midwest for business creation