Only 1 Illinois metro area has recovered COVID-19 job losses

By Bryce Hill

08/26/2022

Illinois’ lagging pandemic recovery continued across its cities in July. Only 1 metropolitan area has recovered from the pandemic.

TAGS: employment, jobs, unemployment

Illinois still missing 1 in 7 jobs lost during pandemic

By Bryce Hill

08/01/2022

With the highest unemployment rate in the Midwest and 117,000 jobs still missing, Illinois’ labor market is among the least recovered in the region.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, economic recovery, employment, job creation, jobs

U.S. Steel to shed up to 1,000 Southern Illinois jobs

By Bryce Hill

07/06/2022

U.S. Steel is cutting up to 1,000 jobs and selling parts of its Granite City plant. The move comes as Madison County employment remains down over 5,600 jobs since the pandemic.

TAGS: employment, Granite City, jobs, Madison County, United States Steel Corp.

8 Illinois metro areas fail to add jobs in April; just 1 recovers from pandemic

06/17/2022

Illinois’ overall job numbers continue to rise, but the recovery is spotty. Over half of the metropolitan areas failed to add jobs in April.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, employment, job creation, jobs

Illinois adds jobs in April, still missing 146,300 from pandemic

06/15/2022

Illinois’ employment recovery continued in April, but the state is still missing almost one in five jobs lost during the pandemic.

TAGS: COVID-19, employment, jobs, unemployment

Illinois 3rd-most regulated state in U.S.

By Bryce Hill, Jim Royal

02/09/2022

Illinois has the nation’s third-highest number of state regulations and double the U.S. average. Regulations make life hard for Illinois’ small businesses, where most Illinois jobs are created.

TAGS: employment, Illinois, regulations, small business

Before COVID-19 downturn, Illinois saw shrinking payrolls and nation’s worst loss of manufacturing jobs

By Bryce Hill

03/31/2020

New data show Illinois lost private sector jobs amid a national economic expansion for the first year on record in 2019, a sign of the state’s deep structural problems in the run-up to the current market downturn.

TAGS: BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics, coronavirus, COVID-19, economic growth, employment, jobs, labor force participation rate, unemployment

Suburban mayor opposes adding 1,500 jobs as Illinois struggles with employment

02/24/2020

Amazon bought the old commercial property, but Bolingbrook’s mayor opposes putting 1,500 jobs on it. Illinois’ job growth was below the national average in 2019.

TAGS: Amazon, Bolingbrook, economic growth, employment, JB Pritzker, jobs, labor force participation rate, Roger Claar, unemployment, zoning

Pritzker claims statewide economic growth, but these Illinois metro areas are shedding jobs

By Bryce Hill

02/10/2020

Despite Gov. J.B. Pritzker touting growth in “every major region,” Illinois shed jobs in three metropolitan areas and lagged the national average in seven more.

TAGS: Bloomington, BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics, budget, Carbondale, Champaign, Chicago, constitutional amendment, economic competitiveness, economic growth, economics, economy, employment, fair tax, flat tax, government spending, graduated income tax, Great Recession, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, income growth, JB Pritzker, job creation, jobs, labor, Madison County, metro areas, Metro East, Moline, pensions, Peoria, population, progressive income tax, recession, Rockford, spending, spending cap, Springfield, St. Clair County, tax burden, tax hikes, tax increase, unemployment, Urbana, working-age

Illinois unemployment rate hits low despite tepid jobs growth

By illinoispolicy

10/28/2019

Illinois’ unemployment rate hit 3.9% in September – the first time in decades that the jobless rate went under 4%, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

TAGS: employment, jobs, unemployment

Fixing Illinois pension crisis by amending nation’s most-restrictive pension law is legal, effective

Illinois is home to one of the worst pension crises in the country.1 At 39% funded, according to the nonpartisan Pew Charitable Trusts, Illinois has the worst pension funding ratio of any state.2 By contrast, neighboring Wisconsin’s pension system is 103% funded.3 In fiscal year 2022, Illinois’ total general funds pension costs, including pension bond...

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Fixing Illinois pension crisis by amending nation’s most-restrictive pension law is legal, effective

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Cathy Stuehmeier

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students