When people can’t find good job opportunities in Illinois, they are too often forced to leave. And to take their place, too few have enough confidence in the state to move in from elsewhere and build a future.
In a shrinking state, half of Illinois’ largest cities have shed population since 2010.
A series of occupational licensing reform bills making their way out of the General Assembly would help more Illinoisans enter the workforce.
The state also saw a drop in the unemployment rate over the month, fueled by employment gains and labor force decline.
“I’ve lived in Clinton since I was two years old. “The moving company is coming June 1. I sold my business as of this morning. “This is where the state loses. My income is fairly healthy. My wife’s income is fairly healthy. And we’re taking our two kids and we’re gone. “I built my house...
Most days in Harvey, a suburb 20 miles south of Chicago, are quiet. Thousands of people and numerous businesses have left the city over the years, and the void left in their wake is plain to see. But on a cold and wet April 14, dozens of longtime residents still fighting for what’s left packed...
Though some of Illinois’ larger municipalities such as Chicago and Evanston have been overly restrictive in regulating food trucks, the Carbondale City Council has debated loosening them for its city, soliciting mixed opinions.
Regulatory regimes in Illinois often discourage workforce participation without enhancing public welfare. One Senate bill, however, would require regulators to demonstrate the necessity of new rules before imposing them on workers.
Seven metro areas across the state lost jobs over the month.
The state also saw a drop in the unemployment rate, but it wasn’t because people found jobs.
Three proposals that would ease occupational licensing restrictions have reached the House floor, passing unanimously out of committee.
Under Illinois law, defaulting on student loan debt could jeopardize one’s occupational license. But a Senate bill would protect indebted workers from displacement.
Revisions from the Bureau of Labor Statistics flipped Decatur’s jobs growth from negative to positive over the year, though the growth was meager.
Illinois’ metro areas added 11,300 jobs in February, while only one metro area lost jobs over the month. Despite strong employment growth from metro areas in February, Illinois is still far behind U.S. growth over the last 12 months.