Illinois Policy

43,000 Illinoisans still awaiting call back from Illinois Department of Employment Security

Illinois Policy Institute releases tracker for agency call-back queue, monthly unemployment claims and a counter of how many days the IDES offices have been closed

More than 28,000 Illinois mothers could return to the workforce if schools re-opened

Women with children are 2 percentage points more likely to return to work in states where governments have re-opened schools

Police union contracts prevent reform in Illinois’ biggest cities

Union contracts override state law when it comes to carrying out officer discipline

35% of Illinois’ small businesses have closed one year into COVID-19 restrictions

More small businesses have closed in Illinois than in any other Midwestern state, except Michigan

Rep. Rita Mayfield’s bill to put classrooms first passes Illinois House committee

House Bill 7 would prioritize classrooms, students and teachers over bureaucracy in education funding

Illinois Senate Committee passes bill to help nursing shortage

Sen. Feigenholtz’s Senate Bill 2068 would add Illinois to the Nurse Licensure Compact

Illinois lawmakers move shell bill that could hike taxes on small businesses by $1B

Senate Bill 217 could serve as a vehicle for an unpopular tax hike proposal with hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans still out of work

Black Illinoisans hurt twice as much by worst year of job losses in state history

Monthly jobs tracker: Over 15% of Black Illinoisans lost their jobs during the pandemic.