Only 51 percent of black adults reported having some form of work in Illinois.

By fixing cost drivers, decreasing the cost of doing business in Illinois, and easing the tax burden, Illinois can encourage jobs growth and stand a better chance at attracting and retaining younger people.

Illinois’ workers’ compensation system costs taxpayers $1 billion per year, and employers repeatedly cite hefty workers’ compensation costs as a driving factor in fleeing the state for friendlier business climates. High workers’ compensation costs most directly affect labor-intensive blue-collar employment sectors – which have struggled to regain their footing in Illinois since the Great Recession. Despite mounting evidence that workers’ compensation...

The state of Illinois has one of the oldest workers’ compensation systems in America, dating to 1911.

Newly released IRS data show Illinois lost on net over 81,000 taxpayers and their dependents, and $4.1 billion of annual taxable income to other states in 2013.