Some Illinois politicians are using an estimate to revise the Census count and claim Illinois doesn't have a problem with its residents moving away. A closer look shows they are wrong, and the danger of denial.
Illinois is steadily adding jobs lost during the COVID-19 economic downturn, but despite 10 months of gains the state recovery lags the nation. Some metropolitan areas are far behind where they were.
“As business owners, we’re constantly up against headwinds at every level of bureaucracy and we’re exhausted from the fight to keep and extend more job opportunities here.”
Key indicators show Illinois’ labor market could begin adding jobs faster than the national economy if population decline and Amendment 1 don’t derail the state’s trajectory.
Illinois’ employment recovery continued in March, but the state is still missing one in five jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic downturn and state restrictions.
Illinois posted job growth of 19,600 in February, with bigger payrolls in 10 of 14 Illinois-based metropolitan areas.
In a new report on America’s 50 governors, Gov. J.B Pritzker was ranked 47th because of the harm he’s done to the state economy. Voters saved him from a lower rank by rejecting his ‘fair tax.’
Illinois is still missing 77,000 jobs from its restaurants, bars, hotels and other leisure industries since COVID-19 shutdowns. That Illinois jobs sector has recovered only 72% of what it lost in the pandemic – one of the nation’s worst recoveries.
Illinois’ employment recovery continued in February, but the state is still missing 21% of the jobs it lost in early 2020
Illinois’ record population decline affeced nearly all counties in 2021.
Illinois’ record population decline affected virtually all of the state’s largest cities.
Bloomington is the only metro area to recover jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic and statewide mandated shutdowns. Illinois is still missing 200,100 jobs as of January 2020.
Although Hispanics were one of the groups hardest hit by pandemic-related job losses, 85,000 more Hispanic Illinoisans were employed in December 2021 compared to December 2019. Hispanic women are driving their recovery.
Illinois’ employment recovery continued in January, but the state remains far from a full recovery and still lags the nation.