Chicago business activity up for second straight month
Chicago business activity up for second straight month
The area saw expansion again after over two years of decline.
REPORTS
Mandating unaffordability: How Chicago’s housing affordability requirements decrease supply and increase costs
Pritzker’s economic record: Weak labor market, widening racial gaps
Unfair big government contracts hurt Illinois’ economy, cut job creation
House hunters: How high taxes hurt home investment in Illinois
Building fairness and opportunity: The effects of repealing Illinois’ prevailing wage law
Pritzker proposes reducing burdensome housing regulations
Pritzker proposes reducing burdensome housing regulations
The state needs to add 227,000 homes by 2030 to meet demand
Housing shortage drives up Illinois prices 49%
Housing shortage drives up Illinois prices 49%
The state’s home prices are up 49% since 2019, while available housing lags the rest of the nation.
Illinois job openings drop by 100,000 since September with 302,000 unemployed
Illinois job openings drop by 100,000 since September with 302,000 unemployed
Illinois job openings are down by more than 100,000 since September.
Amazon Fresh cuts 1,545 Illinois jobs in January
Amazon Fresh cuts 1,545 Illinois jobs in January
Amazon laid off 1,545 Illinois employees. That was most of 2,000 total layoffs across the state in January.
Illinois at risk of losing $700M in SNAP funding from high error rate
Illinois at risk of losing $700M in SNAP funding from high error rate
Illinois must cut its error rate nearly in half to avoid penalties.
VALLAS: Don’t be fooled by Pritzker’s boasts of population gains
VALLAS: Don’t be fooled by Pritzker’s boasts of population gains
Roughly half of Illinois residents say they would leave the state if they could. That warning should be a wake-up call to state and local leaders.
Illinois on track to lose another congressional seat
Illinois on track to lose another congressional seat
Illinois is on pace to lose a seat in Congress based on new census data. International immigration and interstate migration are driving those projections.
Illinois has 8th–largest racial wealth gap in the nation
Illinois has 8th–largest racial wealth gap in the nation
Illinois in the top ten for largest racial wealth gaps. Disparities in income, education and poverty drive the state’s racial wealth gap.
Illinois improves on one company’s list for people leaving
Illinois improves on one company’s list for people leaving
Fewer Illinoisans moved out in 2025, according to United Van Lines. Illinois was No. 2 for departures in 2024 and No. 9 last year.
Chicago business activity growing for first time since November 2023
Chicago business activity growing for first time since November 2023
Chicago employment situation improves after hitting lowest level since 2009 in December 2025.
Illinois’ social mobility is worst in Midwest
Illinois’ social mobility is worst in Midwest
Illinois placed 38th nationally for social mobility. Its rank was pulled down by economic problems and corruption in its legal system.