The two months since the election have been the Land of Lincoln’s best stretch of employment growth in the post-recession era. But the state’s sudden job-creation steam will run out without a healthy fuel of economic-reform policies.

For Illinois’ downstate communities that have felt the pain of out-migration and need to revitalize their industrial base, a local Right-to-Work ordinance can be their first step to a comeback.

An encouraging December helped pull the Land of Lincoln out of last place in the Midwest for 2014 jobs growth.

There are now 1.06 million more Americans working than when the recession began. In comparison, there are 232,000 fewer Illinoisans working over the same time period, the second-largest employment gap in the U.S.

The stunning data underscore an important point as power shifts to Governor-elect Bruce Rauner: Illinois cannot raise taxes on a population that is shrinking due to massive numbers of people leaving.

Localities don’t need to wait for Springfield to make the state work again.

The DCEO started handing out EDGE tax credits in 2001. Nearly $1 billion later, Illinois is one of only seven states to be down jobs.

Illinois’ jobs crisis has led to a dependency crisis.

But Chicago’s minimum-wage hike is a stopgap for jobs.