Black workers in Illinois face much higher unemployment rates than other Black workers in the nation and than their white peers in Illinois. Investing in MAP grants rather than spending more on public pensions could make a difference.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said his reelection campaign will focus on his record of protecting people and their jobs. A close look at that record shows Illinois with worse employment prospects and greater racial disparities than the rest of the U.S.

More than 1 in 5 black and Hispanic female workers in Illinois lost their jobs during the first month of the COVID-19 lockdown.