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Stephenson County staff: job openings nearly match jobseekers; manufacturers eyeing expansion
Summary
County staff reported March 2025 labor-market figures showing roughly 928 county residents unemployed and about 807 unique job postings, and described local business recruitment and workforce efforts including an entrepreneurship pitch competition and housing stakeholder meetings.
Andrea, a county staff member, told the Stephenson County Planning & Development Committee that March 2025 data show a county unemployment rate of 4.5 percent and a Freeport rate of 4.7 percent, with 928 county residents seeking work and about 807 unique job postings during the month.
Andrea said the Illinois Department of Employment Security provided the digest and that 228 employers were actively seeking employees in March and the median advertised wage was just over $26 per hour. She listed frequent job posters that month as Freeport School District, Honeywell, Highland, Freeport Health Network, Anchorage Holdings, Pearl Pavilion and Ascension.
The staff member also summarized recent local economic activity: the county completed a Basecamp entrepreneurship program and held a pitch competition funded in part by the Foundation for Northwest Illinois; several small local manufacturers have signaled interest in expansion and in storage or warehousing space; and a manufacturing company based in Savannah is touring buildings in Freeport as a potential relocation.
Andrea said the county is coordinating a series of housing stakeholder engagement sessions with the NAACP housing committee and the United Way, with a culminating public meeting scheduled for May 29 to identify priority areas. She noted the county may explore incentive programs used elsewhere — for example, property-tax abatement or sales-tax exemptions on building materials — but did not present any formal proposal.
The staff member also said she sits on the Quad City Regional Economic Development Authority board and that the authority can issue double tax-exempt bonds; she described an upcoming meet-and-greet for public and private partners. Andrea closed by reminding the committee of community events, including WineFest.
