Illinois Black unemployment highest of 10 biggest states

Black workers in Illinois face a tougher job market compared to other big states. Illinois has the highest unemployment rate for Black workers among the 10 biggest states.

Black workers in Illinois face an uphill battle compared to the rest of the U.S. when it comes to the job market.

Illinois’ Black unemployment rate for 2023 stood at 9.6%, the highest among the nation’s 10 most populous states.

It’s also the second-highest nationwide. The only state with a higher Black unemployment rate is Kentucky, where the population is roughly one-third of Illinois’.

States with starkly different populations have different economies and job markets. Comparing Illinois to other states among the 10 most populated gives greater insight into how Illinois stacks up with similar economies.

The Black unemployment rate in Pennsylvania, the state closest to Illinois in population, is less than half of Illinois’ rate.

Illinois’ overall unemployment rate of 4.8% in April was the third highest in the nation behind Kentucky and California.

Illinois’ corporate income tax as well as property taxes are the second highest in the nation. Burdensome, profuse regulations on top of taxes make it harder for job creators such as small businesses to thrive. The new 2025 state budget includes $1.1 billion in new taxes, mainly hitting businesses.

To give Black Illinois workers better prospects compared to their peers in other states, lawmakers should pursue policies that attract businesses and employees. That means politicians must stop pushing businesses and workers out of Illinois with higher taxes and more regulation.