The Illinois Senate approved legislation banning four food additives, sending it to the House. Manufacturers will need to sell an alternate recipe in Illinois if the bill becomes law.
Illinois continued to lose population last year, with people leaving 75% of the communities in the state. But what about your town? Did it lose or gain, and by how much?
Chicago lost the most, but communities across Illinois lost population in 2023. Three-fourths of the cities and towns lost people.
Chicago lost 8,208 residents in 2023, the third-largest decline of any city in the nation. At this rate, the Second City will drop from No. 3 to No. 4 by 2035
Jackie Jackson has repeatedly helped people understand what it means to be an entrepreneur in Chicago, from crime to the pandemic to taxes. But being able to create jobs keeps her going and is why she was named businessperson of the year.
Phoenix, Arizona, established a program to streamline building permits for certain projects. It has seen results. It could help Illinois’ drop in housing permits.
Job gains in Illinois’ metropolitan areas were off to a slow start in 2024. Six areas remain behind where they were before the pandemic.
Illinois employment growth lagged the nation and neighboring states in March 2024. Unemployment was third highest in the U.S.
A new survey of economic indicators ranks Illinois 48th in the nation on 15 measures. High taxes, slow economic growth, people moving away and high public debt all pushed the state down.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has moved on from his failed tax hike and found a good answer to Chicago’s housing affordability issue. His “Cut the Tape” proposal would streamline the housing and commercial development process, increasing the supply and affordability.
Illinois cities and villages could reduce from months to just days the time it takes to issue permits for new residential and commercial construction. Phoenix saw housing units increase 10% in a decade by cutting costly delays.
House Bill 5608 would allow professionals with out-of-state licenses or experience to work in Illinois and help residents with certifications from other states to work. Universal licensing was already adopted by 22 other states.
10 of the 13 Illinois metro areas added jobs from January 2024 to February 2024, led by the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area. Five still reported fewer jobs than prior to the pandemic.
Illinois’ unemployment rate tied for 3rd worst in the nation in February 2024 after a decline in the number of jobs statewide during the past 12 months. Illinois continues to lag the nation and all its neighbors in job growth.