Up to 140,000 able-bodied Illinoisans may need jobs to get food stamps in 2020

By Vincent Caruso

12/05/2019

Just Cook County food stamp recipients were facing work requirements Jan. 1 if they were under age 50, able-bodied and had no dependents. Now the rules will apply throughout Illinois starting April 1.

TAGS: criminal justice reform, Donald Trump, food stamps, Foundation for Government Accountability, Illinois, Illinois General Assembly, job creation, jobs, jobs growth, labor force participation rate, Michigan, National Conference of State Legislatures, over-regulation, regulation, regulations, small business, SNAP, Springfield, tax burden, unemployment, West Virginia, Wisconsin

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

Illinois is more dependent on food stamps than any other neighboring state

By Tivas Gupta

08/23/2019

Illinois has a higher percentage of its residents on food stamps than its neighboring states, and has seen a much slower decline in food stamp recipients following the recession.

TAGS: employment, food stamps, jobs, SNAP, unemployment, welfare

Illinois’ rich millennials are moving to other states

By Tivas Gupta

06/23/2019

Youthful wealth, energy and talent that could help Illinois recover is leaving the state at the nation’s second-highest rate. State leaders’ thirst for new taxes will make the problem worse.

TAGS: fair tax, income tax, jobs, millennials, outmigration, progressive income tax, property taxes, taxes

Illinois ‘license to landscape’ bill is a pure protection racket

By Austin Berg

05/03/2019

Licensing should be the last resort. Instead, in the case of the landscape architects, it appears to be a grab for a different kind of green.

TAGS: employment, jobs, licensing, occupational licensing, unemployment

Energy company shelves $500M Illinois expansion, cites ‘anti-business’ climate

By Vincent Caruso

05/02/2019

An Illinois-based energy company will halt construction on a planned $500 million plant, a casualty of the Land of Lincoln’s hostile business environment.

TAGS: corporate income tax, fair tax, income tax, JB Pritzker, jobs, progressive income tax, taxes, unemployment

Illinois employment growth continues to lag the nation through the first quarter of 2019

By Bryce Hill

04/22/2019

Illinois’ total employment growth ranks 31st from December 2018 to March 2019. Continued population loss likely to follow poor job growth.

TAGS: employment, fair tax, income tax, JB Pritzker, jobs, outmigration, progressive income tax, taxes, U.S. Census Bureau, unemployment

86 Illinois counties see population loss in 2018

By Bryce Hill

04/18/2019

Fleeing residents continue to fuel population loss, with Cook County leading the nation for population decline.

TAGS: Chicago, Cook County, jobs, outmigration, population

Craft liquor may catch on quicker if Illinois changes law

By Joe Barnas

04/15/2019

Illinois House passes bill to open up opportunities for the craft distillery industry, freeing entrepreneurs to grow to meet growing demand.

TAGS: jobs, Jonathan Carroll, Liquor Control Act, Michael Zalewski, Tom Demmer

Pritzker progressive tax may send oil transport business out of Illinois

By Brad Weisenstein

03/08/2019

Most business is mobile. Most of Illinois is close to another state. Add a progressive state income tax and watch businesses such as Piasa Motor Fuels cross the bridge to Missouri.

TAGS: employment, fair tax, income tax, jobs, outmigration, progressive income tax, taxes

Power in payments: Illinois can help unbanked residents, save money by adopting best practices in payment methods

Each year, tens of billions of dollars flow through Illinois state government.1 These flows all depend on methods of payment. In deciding on those payment methods, policymakers must consider a number of important factors, including security controls, cost effectiveness, accessibility, speed and allowance for choice. This report shows that by adopting best practices across all...

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Power in payments: Illinois can help unbanked residents, save money by adopting best practices in payment methods

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Ifeoma Nkemdi

Policy lessons from Illinois’ exodus of people and money

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