Illinois home building lags virtually every other state during past decade

By Bryce Hill

07/18/2021

New census data shows Illinois ranked 48th in the U.S. for new single-family home permits during the past decade.

TAGS: construction, homeownership, Illinois, real estate

Indiana has seen more single-family homes than Illinois for 10 years in a row

By Austin Berg

01/13/2020

Indiana has around half the population of Illinois. But its building new homes at a rate more than 60% higher.

TAGS: construction, development, Great Recession, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Indiana, JB Pritzker, pensions, property taxes, recession, Springfield

A decade after recession, Illinois’ construction industry is ice cold

By Austin Berg

12/05/2019

Why is Illinois construction so weak? As it turns out, big government programs can’t paper over weak fundamentals.

TAGS: Bureau of Economic Analysis, construction, Erin Guthrie, gas tax, Great Recession, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, JB Pritzker, Luis Arroyo, Martin Sandoval, minimum wage, outmigration, Pat Quinn, progressive income tax, property taxes, Springfield, U.S. Census Bureau

Michigan becomes latest Illinois neighbor to repeal prevailing wage mandate

By Eddie Damstra

06/08/2018

Michigan nixed a law mandating inflated wages for public construction projects. The Prairie State should follow suit.

TAGS: construction, Michigan, prevailing wage

How one Illinois law jacks up the cost of government while harming construction sector employment

By Orphe Divounguy

12/06/2017

Illinois state lawmakers could stimulate employment and lower costs for overburdened taxpayers by repealing the state’s outdated prevailing wage law.

TAGS: construction, jobs, prevailing wage, regulations

Illinois borrowing $750M at near-junk credit rating

By Austin Berg

11/29/2017

The state is borrowing millions to finance capital construction projects and information technology improvements. But Illinoisans continue to pay for the worst credit rating of any state in the nation.

TAGS: borrowing, capital project, construction, credit rating

Where have all the new homes gone?

By Austin Berg

06/15/2017

Compared with Illinois’ pre-recession average, permits for new single-family and multiunit housing are down more than 60 percent.

TAGS: construction, housing, local government, prevailing wage, property taxes, workers compensation

Illinois loses nearly 9,000 jobs on net in March; unemployment rate drops

By Michael Lucci

04/21/2017

Illinois lost jobs across several industries including construction, manufacturing, and professional and business services. The only employment category to see significant growth was leisure and hospitality.

TAGS: construction, IDES: Illinois Department of Employment Security, jobs, manufacturing, unemployment

Construction season means high costs for Illinois taxpayers

By Michael Lucci

04/20/2017

Insurance premiums cost 20 percent of payroll for concrete construction workers in Illinois.

TAGS: construction, jobs, prevailing wage, unemployment, workers compensation