Illinois payrolls stagnant, unemployment rate 35% higher than U.S. average

By Bryce Hill

09/17/2021

Illinois’ non-farm payrolls only added 2,500 jobs from mid-July to mid-August. Unemployment was steadily high as the rest of the nation recovered.

TAGS: COVID-19, Illinois, unemployment

Everything you need to know about Illinois unemployment

By Brad Weisenstein

09/13/2021

The Illinois Department of Employment Security was ill-prepared to handle record numbers of unemployed workers when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, was slow to distribute federal help, exposed Illinoisans' private information, then lefts thousands on hold awaiting answers. Here's the latest.

TAGS: IDES: Illinois Department of Employment Security, JB Pritzker, jobs, labor, taxes, unemployment

Suburban residents risk losing homes over rising pension costs

By Amy Korte

09/01/2021

Because the cost of generous government retirement packages has grown faster than existing government revenues can sustain, property taxes continue to climb.

TAGS: collar counties, Illinois, pensions, property taxes

Illinois falls farther behind national economic recovery in July

By Bryce Hill

08/23/2021

Despite the strongest jobs report in months, Illinois’ unemployment rate remains high as the U.S. rate continues to drop.

TAGS: COVID-19, Illinois, jobs, unemployment

Rural areas lose to cities amid Illinois’ historic population loss

By Bryce Hill

08/13/2021

Chicago and other urban areas in Illinois gained people compared to the rural areas, with 87 of 102 counties losing people in the 2020 U.S. Census.

TAGS: Chicago, Illinois, population, U.S. Census Bureau

Black workers suffer most from Illinois’ slow recovery from COVID-19

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

07/19/2021

Some parts of Illinois’ job markets are recovering, but not for Black Illinoisans. Many jobs are still missing from before COVID-19, including over one-third of the leisure and hospitality jobs.

TAGS: black community, COVID-19, Illinois, jobs, unemployment

Illinois home building lags virtually every other state during past decade

By Bryce Hill, Dom Moran

07/18/2021

New census data shows Illinois ranked 48th in the U.S. for new single-family home permits during the past decade.

TAGS: construction, homeownership, Illinois, real estate

Governor signs Hayli’s Law to protect lemonade stands from Illinois government

By Ann Miller

07/12/2021

When a child’s lemonade stand was targeted by government regulators, an 11-year-old entrepreneur fought back. Now Illinois law officially bars government from interfering with a child’s right to sell cold summer drinks.

TAGS: Hayli Martenez, Illinois, lemonade stand, regulations

Chicago’s unemployment recovery near dead last for big cities

By Patrick Andriesen

07/09/2021

A national study ranked Chicago’s unemployment recovery 172nd out of the 180 most-populous U.S. cities. Lawmakers didn’t help when they imposed $655 million in new taxes on the state’s job creators.

TAGS: Chicago, COVID-19, unemployment

Illinois may pay bonuses to get workers to take jobs again

By Noah Shaar

07/08/2021

To combat above-average unemployment, Illinois state leaders discussed a possible back-to-work bonus. The state would pay cash to those who go off unemployment.

TAGS: Illinois, JB Pritzker, jobs, unemployment