Small businesses led Illinois’ COVID-19 jobs recovery

By Bryce Hill

11/23/2022

Small Business Saturday offers a reason to be extra thankful: businesses with fewer than 20 employees were the only ones to grow payrolls since COVID-19 hit.

TAGS: COVID-19, small business

Illinois unemployment rate is worst in U.S.

By Justin Carlson

10/25/2022

Illinois added 14,900 jobs in September, but its unemployment rate was the highest in the nation. Inflation and growing recession fears could hit the state harder than most.

Illinois businesses on hook for $1.4 billion in state unemployment debt

By Dylan Sharkey

10/06/2022

Illinois will contribute $450 million to the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. With $1.4 billion in debt remaining, Illinois businesses are on the hook if lawmakers don’t meet the Nov. 10 deadline.

Southern Illinois taxpayers spend $124.5M since 2002 to keep airport open

By Brad Weisenstein

09/28/2022

An underused airport near Belleville, Illinois, has required local taxpayers to chip in $124.5 million since 2002 to keep it operating.

TAGS: MidAmerica Airport

High inflation could lead to property tax hikes in Illinois

By Patrick Andriesen

09/26/2022

Decades-high inflation means local governments can easily raise Illinoisans’ property taxes by 5% during the next year. That makes it an especially bad time to compound the property tax hike with Amendment 1.

TAGS: inflation, property taxes

Illinois Supreme Court rejects back pay for former state lawmakers

By Dylan Sharkey

09/23/2022

In a unanimous decision, the Illinois Supreme Court denied a lawsuit by two former state senators seeking back pay. The senators bragged about voting against the raises, then decided they deserved them after leaving office.

TAGS: Illinois Supreme Court