Black workers in Illinois face a tougher job market than peers nationally. Hispanic men, Asians face lower unemployment rates relative to peers in other states.
Chicago lost 8,208 residents in 2023, the third-largest decline of any city in the nation. At this rate, the Second City will drop from No. 3 to No. 4 by 2035
Illinoisans are expected to again bet big on college sports during March, driven by March Madness. Sports wagers put $1B into Illinois government accounts last year, ranking it No. 3 in the U.S.
Illinois’ population decline crisis continues to affect virtually all counties despite fewer losses in 2023. Cook County saw nation’s second-highest number of residents moving out.
A WalletHub study found low-income Illinoisans pay 14% of their annual salary to sales, property and incomes taxes – more than anywhere else in the nation. The state’s middle- and high-income earners weren’t much better off.
Chicago’s $1.15 billion projected budget gap is the latest in a decades-long string of structural deficits. Making Chicago’s high taxes worse is not the solution.