Despite a higher-than-expected 2020 population count, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates Illinoisans moving away was the sole reason for the state’s record loss of the equivalent of nearly everyone in Springfield.
November job gains in Illinois were below the COVID-19 recovery pace set earlier in the year. They continued to lag the national recovery.
High taxes on marijuana are believed to help illegal dealers and violence thrive, so San Francisco is holding off on new city pot taxes to help legal dispensaries compete. Illinois and Chicago, where taxes top 40%, may want to pay attention.
Legal marijuana has seen nine consecutive months tally at least $100 million in Illinois sales. The state is on pace to double the previous year and exceed $1.5 billion in sales. Still, Illinois’ illegal market churns out higher sales and violence.
The pandemic caused the largest and shortest economic contraction in U.S. history. But as other states recovered, Illinois’ economy remained $17 billion below the pre-pandemic trend through the first half of 2021.
Illinois ranked 14th worst in the nation for road infrastructure with 20% of state roadways non-acceptable and 12% of bridges in poor condition by federal standards. It was near last in spending on repairs.
“We have a slogan that we live by: ‘Life without Mexican food is no life at all.’"
This Small Business Saturday, Illinois has more entrepreneurs than before the COVID-19 pandemic. But the recovery has been uneven as some types of small businesses struggle and many jobs are missing as Illinois lags the national rebound.
Illinois’ labor market has heated up, gaining 40,900 jobs in October. It was the largest increase in 2021 as women, especially minority women, returned to work
Illinoisans are more likely to give thanks that their Thanksgiving meal was purchased with food stamps than in any surrounding state. As the national participation declines, SNAP in Illinois has grown.
Two groups most hurt by pandemic closures, women and Black Illinoisans, have been the quickest to turn to owning small businesses as a way to recover from the COVID-19 economic downturn.
“I opened Zayna Mediterranean Grill in August 2019. ‘Zayna’ is my grandmother’s name. When I decided I was going to open this restaurant, I didn’t tell anyone in my family for six months. Then, I had a friend bring my family to my restaurant one day to eat.” “My parents are a little older, so...
Gov. J.B. Pritzker just signed an amendment to the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act, limiting the law used to challenge his COVID-19 vaccination and other mandates.
“This year, our assessment increased 540%, and we fear next year our taxes will see a substantial increase. We’re appealing, but if our taxes continue to rise at such high rates, there is a good chance they will be putting us out of business."