The state finally surpassed January 2020 job levels after 37 states had already done so, including all of Illinois’ neighbors except Michigan.

Illinois added 8,400 jobs in June, but unemployment remained high compared to the rest of the nation. The state still hasn’t recovered the jobs it had before the pandemic.

Rail car company TTX is heading for North Carolina, adding to the list of corporations formerly headquartered in Chicago. Companies such as McDonald’s and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange could be next.

New Census Bureau data shows people moving out of Illinois continues to drive the state’s population decline. So many moved away in the year before July 2022, it was almost like Rockford disappearing.

Illinois reported the largest outmigration of residents of any state during 2021, marking the 8th consecutive year of population decline in Illinois. Chicago similarly saw more residents move away than any metropolitan area in the nation.

States that have re-opened schools have also increased labor force participation of mothers, evidence suggests.

Illinois was the nation’s fifth-largest state until 2020 census data was released. Now Pennsylvania’s population exceeds Illinois’ to take the No. 5 spot.