A massive influx of 112,955 international migrants boosted Illinois population in 2024, new Census Bureau data shows. Buses from Texas likely grew Illinois’ population.
You will see a survey on the Nov. 5 election regarding Illinois taxes. Lawmakers can then use the results to see how voters feel when considering new laws.
Updated budget forecasts show a $982 million shortfall for the upcoming 2025 budget as Chicago grapples with $223 million remaining deficit this year. Mayor Brandon Johnson refuses to rule out property tax hikes.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s budget includes $250,000 for a group advocating for increased government spending and higher taxes. He gave the group money last year, too.
Nearly 100,000 Chicago-area residents are out of work, and at 6.2% the Chicago metro area has the highest unemployment rate of the nation’s 50 largest metro areas. Illinois as a whole isn’t doing much better, with a 6.1% unemployment rate.
The Democratic National Convention is coming to Chicago to highlight the party’s platform. Delegates are likely to see moving vans that highlight what those policies have done to the Windy City and the rest of Illinois.
At the 1920 Census, Chicago’s population was 2.7 million, up over 516,000 in a decade. More than 100 years later, Chicago’s population is 2.66 million, a loss of 128,034 from nine straight years of decline.
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.
Occupational licensing requirements present one of the steepest barriers to low-income Illinoisans starting careers in beauty services. Illinois requires anyone seeking to become a barber, cosmetologist, nail technician or hair braider to obtain a state license, essentially a permission slip to work. Unlike 45 other states, Illinois offers only one pathway to licensure for each...