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

Illinois sees fourth straight month of jobs growth in May

By Bryce Hill

06/19/2018

Illinois’ jobs situation improved in May, but the state needs long-term solutions such as a spending cap to get on a path to fiscal health and assure investors more tax hikes are not on the horizon.

TAGS: BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics, IDES: Illinois Department of Employment Security, jobs, 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 metro areas add 3,300 jobs in April

By Bryce Hill

05/30/2018

New data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show eight of Illinois’ 13 metro areas gained jobs over the month.

TAGS: BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment, jobs, unemployment

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

Illinois added 4,700 jobs in April, but workforce continues to shrink

By Bryce Hill

05/21/2018

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

TAGS: balanced budget requirement, budget, jobs, labor force participation rate, outmigration, Spending, unemployment

Illinois’ metro areas shed 3,600 jobs in March

By Bryce Hill

04/30/2018

Seven metro areas across the state lost jobs over the month.

TAGS: Bloomington, Champaign, decatur, Elgin, IDES: Illinois Department of Employment Security, jobs, labor force participation rate, peoria, quad cities, rockford, Springfield, unemployment

Illinois shed 2,100 jobs in March

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

04/20/2018

The state also saw a drop in the unemployment rate, but it wasn’t because people found jobs.

TAGS: IDES: Illinois Department of Employment Security, jobs, labor force participation rate, unemployment

Revised data show Decatur added 400 jobs in 2017

By Austin Berg

04/07/2018

Revisions from the Bureau of Labor Statistics flipped Decatur’s jobs growth from negative to positive over the year, though the growth was meager.

TAGS: BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics, decatur, jobs, unemployment

Illinois metro areas yield slight jobs gain in January, but weak long-term trends persist

By Bryce Hill

03/16/2018

Combined jobs growth was slightly positive across Illinois’ metro areas in January. But only four metro areas have recovered the jobs they lost during the Great Recession.

TAGS: BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs, unemployment