Jobs data: After 2017 income tax hike, Illinois slows while nation grows

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

07/02/2018

As national jobs growth kept up a steady clip, Illinois saw jobs growth dip after lawmakers passed a historic tax hike.

TAGS: employment, income tax, jobs, taxes, U.S. Census Bureau

Prime working-age Illinoisans leading the state’s population decline

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill, Suman Chattopadhyay

06/21/2018

The current and future workforce is shrinking in Illinois, but growing across the U.S. Making the Prairie State more attractive for families seeking to work and invest is key to fixing this problem.

TAGS: millennials, outmigration, population, U.S. Census Bureau, unemployment

Shrinking communities bode ill for Illinois’ economy

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

05/30/2018

More than three-quarters Illinois communities lost population over the year, and nearly all of the state’s major metro areas are lagging the nation on key economic indicators.

TAGS: balanced budget requirement, budget, employment, income tax, labor force participation rate, outmigration, personal income, population, progressive income tax, spending cap, taxes, U.S. Census Bureau, unemployment

Illinois’ southernmost counties see population losses in 2017

By Joe Kaiser

05/30/2018

As part of Illinois’ statewide population drop in 2017, southern Illinois counties saw a continuation of population losses they’ve been seeing for years.

TAGS: Alexander County, Jackson County, outmigration, population, property taxes, southern illinois, taxes, U.S. Census Bureau

New census data tell the tale of Quad Cities

By Austin Berg

05/25/2018

If current population trends hold, Rock Island, Illinois, will take a back seat to Bettendorf, Iowa, within five years.

TAGS: Iowa, outmigration, personal income, population, property taxes, quad cities, rock island county, taxes, U.S. Census Bureau

In a shrinking state, Census sheds light on struggling cities

By Austin Berg

05/24/2018

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.

TAGS: Belleville, decatur, jobs, outmigration, progressive income tax, property taxes, Robert Martwick, rockford, taxes, U.S. Census Bureau, unemployment

Chicago was the only major U.S. city to lose population from 2016 to 2017

By Austin Berg

05/23/2018

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

TAGS: Belleville, Chicago, decatur, jobs, Metro East, outmigration, peoria, population, rockford, Spending, spending cap, U.S. Census Bureau

Of the nation’s 10 largest metro areas, only Chicago saw population loss in 2017

By Austin Berg

03/22/2018

The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area witnessed population decline over the year, as did nearly every other metro area in Illinois.

TAGS: Chicago, outmigration, population, U.S. Census Bureau

More than 80 percent of Illinois counties saw population loss in 2017

By Bryce Hill, Austin Berg

03/22/2018

As outmigration fuels population decline throughout the state, Cook County saw the largest numeric population loss of any county in the nation.

TAGS: collar counties, Cook County, outmigration, U.S. Census Bureau

Stocking full of coal: Illinois shrinkage poses major problems

By Austin Berg

12/21/2017

The continuing erosion of Illinois’ tax base is the state’s most pressing budget problem.

TAGS: income tax, outmigration, property taxes, taxes, U.S. Census Bureau