While Illinois outperformed the nation in terms of monthly employment growth for the first time since September 2017, Illinois payrolls have only increased half as fast as the rest of the nation in the past year.

Despite healthy jobs growth nationally, Illinoisans are desperate for work.

Illinois' jobs growth trailed that of the nation during the first half of 2017, then slowed to a halt in the wake of the General Assembly's record-breaking tax hike.