The Illinois Department of Employment Security had a backlog of 156K calls in February. Now, over a year into the pandemic, its offices remain closed to the public and 43K Illinoisans are still awaiting a call from IDES.
States that have re-opened schools have also increased labor force participation of mothers, evidence suggests.
New data showed domestic migration continued to be the only reason for Illinois’ population decline.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker inaccurately identified students leaving for college as the reason for Illinois’ population decline. Illinoisans between the ages of 26 and 54 made up 64.5% of the net decline in population from 2017-2018, the most recent year of available data.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Illinois is close to starting the extra ‘bridge phase’ of mandates he added in March, but over a year into his COVID-19 restrictions it is another barricade to the state’s economy. States with fewer limits are seeing bigger declines in infections.
Illinois was the nation’s fifth-largest state until 2020 census data was released. Now Pennsylvania’s population exceeds Illinois’ to take the No. 5 spot.
Illinois will lose one representative in the U.S. House. The state’s population declined for the first time in over 200 years, the 10-year U.S. Census count showed.
Illinois’ decade of population loss, with last year being the worst loss of people since World War II, will cost is one seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Some thought the new Census would cost Illinois two seats in Congress.
Illinois’ unemployment rate remains the highest in the Midwest despite March jobs growth. Unemployment is high across the state compared to the region.
"I just always help people out because people helped me, so I want to help other people."
Illinois’ unemployment rate remains the highest in the Midwest despite March jobs growth
"The weekend we reserved our U-Haul, there was a record number of one-way rentals out of Illinois."
More small businesses have closed in Illinois than in any other Midwestern state, except Michigan. Taxing them more as they struggle is the wrong move.
“There are professional licenses that need to be obtained by people who want to begin a career in this industry. But there are also arbitrary policies in place that disincentivize them from pursuing those licenses and their dreams.”