New Year

2 million Illinoisans struggle to put food on their tables

By Madelyn Harwood
12/25/2016
Recent data from the Illinois Department of Human Services show nearly 2 million Illinois residents need government assistance to put food on the table this holiday season, as the state continues to hemorrhage manufacturing jobs and other blue-collar opportunities. Each year’s end is a time for reflection.

TAGS: food stamps, jobs, SNAP

AFSCME turns to courts to delay Rauner contract, costing taxpayers millions

By Mailee Smith
12/09/2016
A judge in Cook County has issued a temporary restraining order halting a labor board decision that would allow the state to implement its contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The delay costs Illinois taxpayers over $1 million more each day in state-worker health coverage costs.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Bruce Rauner, labor

Illinois loses 27,600 jobs in January

By Michael Lucci
03/06/2014
Illinois started the New Year in the wrong direction, with businesses reporting a loss of 27,600 payroll jobs in January. The January loss makes two consecutive months of job losses. The unemployment rate declined from 8.9 percent to 8.7 percent. The number of payroll jobs today is the same as it was in November of...

TAGS: jobs, unemployment

Small business alert: Tax relief is waiting for you?

12/14/2011
by Dan Proft In January of this year, Gov. Pat Quinn, House Speaker Mike Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton passed the largest tax increase in Illinois history. They proceeded to spend much of 2011 carving out special exceptions to the tax hike for politically powerful Illinois employers. This week, Sears and the CME Group...