U.S. recovery moves forward, time for Illinois to catch up
U.S. recovery moves forward, time for Illinois to catch up
Illinois is still seven years and 286,000 workers from recovery.
Illinois employers warn of 900 layoffs
Illinois employers warn of 900 layoffs
Exactly 900 more Illinoisans can expect to be laid off in coming months, according to notices filed with the state.
First Lady fumbles Illinois’ job situation
First Lady fumbles Illinois’ job situation
Illinois is last in the U.S. for putting people back to work.
7 of 10 Illinois metro areas are not recovering at all
7 of 10 Illinois metro areas are not recovering at all
Unemployment rates fell for most of Illinois’ metropolitan statistical areas in September, according to a press release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, seven out of 10 Illinois metro areas are not showing any signs of an economic recovery when it comes to putting people back to work. Champaign, Chicago and Springfield are showing...
Three small changes for a better food-truck policy
Three small changes for a better food-truck policy
It’s been two years since Chicago last updated its food-truck regulations to allow vendors to prepare food onboard. This was a significant improvement, but there are still some important changes the city can and should make to better respect food-truck owners’ rights and improve food options for residents across the city. Here are three modest...
Illinois’ ‘temporary’ 2011 tax hike breaks household budgets
Illinois’ ‘temporary’ 2011 tax hike breaks household budgets
Illinois’ “temporary” 2011 tax hike made the state’s slow recovery even worse. The tax hikes hit at the worst possible time – right after household incomes had collapsed during the recession. Since the tax hikes, the monthly growth in the number of people working in Illinois has slowed down by 60 percent, while the monthly...
DCEO gives $25.6M to billion-dollar businesses
DCEO gives $25.6M to billion-dollar businesses
Illinoisans don’t need bureaucrats playing venture capitalist with their hard-earned money.
Illinois food stamps hit 2014 high
Illinois food stamps hit 2014 high
More than one in five Illinois households are dependent on food stamps.
Illinois’ real unemployment rate
Illinois’ real unemployment rate
More than 500,000 Illinoisans are missing from the calculation of Illinois' unemployment rate.
Illinois’ true unemployment rate: 18.1 percent
Illinois’ true unemployment rate: 18.1 percent
The unemployment rate is a state’s most closely monitored indicator of economic health. The Illinois unemployment rate rose sharply through the Great Recession, and continues to fluctuate and trend downward as a result of both economic growth and a shrinking workforce. Illinois’ working-age adult population, from which the workforce is drawn, has grown by nearly...
Manufacturing a comeback
Manufacturing a comeback
Illinois’ economy needs a real comeback to get the state back to work. To address what is needed for a sustainable recovery, policymakers should look at one of Illinois’ primary pain points: the manufacturing sector. The recession caused Illinois to lose 116,800 manufacturing jobs from January 2008-January 2010. After that, Illinois began a weak manufacturing...
Illinois payrolls increase, manufacturing declines
Illinois payrolls increase, manufacturing declines
The Illinois unemployment rate fell to 6.6 percent from 6.7 percent in September, according to today’s economic release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of payroll jobs in Illinois increased by 19,300 in September, the sixth-best monthly increase in the last 10 years. Illinois’ workforce grew by 5,800 in September, the first month...
10 Illinois jobs facts you should know
10 Illinois jobs facts you should know
Illinois is ready to boom. That is the single most important fact about Illinois’ jobs climate and economy as a whole. However, Illinoisans have been held back by policy errors that have plagued the state for decades, especially since the Great Recession. Policy errors are causing tremendous pain for Illinoisans, but that pain can be...
Post-recession pain points in Illinois: a breakdown
Post-recession pain points in Illinois: a breakdown
From the beginning of the Great Recession in January 2008 through August 2014, Illinois is still down 157,100 payroll jobs, more than any other state in the U.S. Some sectors of Illinois’ economy have recovered completely, while others remain dramatically below pre-recession levels. Manufacturing and construction have had it the worst through the recession era,...