Despite a full year of job gains, all Illinois metropolitan areas are missing jobs since the pandemic began and the recovery stalled. While May brought job gains statewide, only eight metro areas saw gains while seven saw losses.
Illinois’ employment recovery continued in May, but the state is still missing nearly one in six jobs lost during the pandemic.
U.S. Steel is cutting up to 1,000 jobs and selling parts of its Granite City plant. The move comes as Madison County employment remains down over 5,600 jobs since the pandemic.
"Inflation has definitely been our biggest challenge for the last 18 months or so. Prices have been going up on everything."
Minimum wages for Chicago and Cook County are increasing July 1. Inflation has rapidly outpaced wage growth, cutting the average Illinoisan’s pay by $2,200.
"The high taxes here hurt lower- and middle-income families and small businesses.”
Illinois gas station owners lost their legal fight over the requirement to advertise the delay in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s annual gas tax hike. Stations now will post the mandated signs July 1, but are also telling drivers how much state leaders raised the gas taxes.
A tough economy and an Illinois Policy Institute report has Oak Lawn considering waiving business license renewal fees for a year. Giving up $600,000 in fees is expected to attract new businesses and help older ones.
Hedge-fund firm Citadel is moving its headquarters to Miami. Citadel CEO Ken Griffin said many employees have asked to move out of Illinois.
The Chicago City Council Finance Committee voted 16-15 to repeal Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s policy issuing $35 tickets to motorists going 6 mph over the speed limit. The decision now heads to the full council for a vote June 22.
Illinoisans celebrate Independence Day by taking their fireworks business to other states, despite bans and threats at home, causing the state to lose out on jobs and revenue.
Illinois’ overall job numbers continue to rise, but the recovery is spotty. Over half of the metropolitan areas failed to add jobs in April.
One of the state’s biggest employers is relocating their headquarters to Irving, Texas. A decade ago Caterpillar’s CEO warned state leaders of business losses unless they balanced the budget, controlled workers’ comp costs and cut taxes. He was ignored.
Illinois’ employment recovery continued in April, but the state is still missing almost one in five jobs lost during the pandemic.