A WalletHub report examining economic racial inequality ranked Illinois No. 50 for disproportionate rates of unemployment, income, poverty, homelessness and representation in business leadership between Black and white residents.
A new study shows Illinois is the least tax-friendly state in the nation. A family making the median national income in the median valued home pays 16.8% of their income to taxes, more than any other state.
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...