Illinois’ declining union membership is but one more reminder that the state’s anti-jobs business environment hurts the broad population of job-seekers, whether they are union or non-union.
For each percentage point drop in the private sector’s share of the state economy, Illinois household incomes fall by over $3,000 on average. Unfortunately for Illinoisans, the private sector’s share of the Illinois economy has dwindled as government’s share – enabled through tax-funded spending – has risen to 25 percent.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security’s newly released jobs report shows Illinois’ 1,700 jobs gained in November were concentrated in white-collar service sectors, and that blue-collar fields, such as manufacturing, lost jobs.
Workers’ compensation is a significant cost to Illinois taxpayers and drains scarce tax dollars from government coffers. Political and business leaders often view workers’ compensation as a costly regulation that affects private-sector investment and employment in Illinois.[1] This description is accurate yet incomplete. The same heavy costs imposed on private-sector employers[2] are also imposed on...