A recent Gallup poll found residents in states with higher tax burdens are more likely to want to move. Illinoisans are the third-most-likely to say they would prefer to move permanently to another state.
Illinois’ weak jobs growth is driving more residents to other states on net than Illinois gains from other states, from natural growth in births or from international immigration.
Unlike Illinois, Pennsylvania has actually recovered the number of jobs it lost during the Great Recession, and now has 40,000 more jobs than it had at its pre-recession peak. Illinois, on the other hand, still has 90,000 fewer jobs than it had before the recession, the worst jobs recovery in the U.S.
Newly released IRS data show Illinois lost on net over 81,000 taxpayers and their dependents, and $4.1 billion of annual taxable income to other states in 2013.
Chicagoans know new revenues won’t be used to pay for better roads, classrooms or public safety – these tax hikes won’t even fix what’s ailing the city’s bottom line.