When people can’t find good job opportunities in Illinois, they are too often forced to leave. And to take their place, too few have enough confidence in the state to move in from elsewhere and build a future.

In a shrinking state, half of Illinois’ largest cities have shed population since 2010.

The state also saw a drop in the unemployment rate over the month, fueled by employment gains and labor force decline.

Madison and St. Clair counties both saw their populations decline from July 2016 to July 2017, thanks to outmigration – a problem the counties have been dealing with for years.