Illinois gained 14,700 payroll jobs on net in March, and compared relatively well with other states in the region for the month, trailing only Ohio in monthly jobs growth. Despite this growth, however, the unemployment rate increased to 6.5 percent. The state also lost 3,100 manufacturing jobs on net.
Illinois’ economy lagged the national average between 2003 and 2014. Had Illinois’ gross domestic product grown at the same pace as the national average since 2003, Illinois workers would have generated an additional $64.6 billion in products and services in 2014.
Monthly reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security allow the public to see Illinois’ record for job creation and unemployment. Understanding the components of the reports, what they measure, and the significance of the data are key to assessing the state’s economic health.
“I’ve been a boilermaker for 40 years. I was 20 years old when I started and I’ve raised eight kids on this job. It feels like back then you could just walk down the street and get a job in manufacturing … “I was born and raised in Chicago but I left for Indiana 12...
Illinois gained 14,700 jobs on net in March, according to a preliminary jobs report released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security, or IDES. March’s numbers mark three consecutive months of jobs growth in a state that had grown all too accustomed to job losses. More and more Illinoisans are looking for work – and...
Illinois’ March layoff report shows that almost a quarter of the 900 Illinoisans who will lose their jobs are manufacturing workers.
Switching to an electronic system from a paper-based licensing program is expected to save taxpayers millions of dollars over the next few years – as well as provide better and faster service for the state’s licensed professionals.
Since the state's recession bottom, Illinois has regained less than 5 percent of its manufacturing jobs — the worst rate of recovery among all neighboring states.
Millionaires are playing a large role in the broader Chicago exodus.
For nearly six years, Illinois was the only Midwestern state where growth in food stamps was outpacing jobs growth.
The unintended consequences of a Chicago credit-check ordinance have harmed young and black workers, and show why lawmakers should focus on repealing the laws preventing employment for Illinoisans, rather than creating new ones.
Census data are sounding a warning signal that Chicago and Illinois policy leaders don’t necessarily want to hear.
Chicago aldermen, some of whom receive financial support from the taxicab industry, are looking to burden Uber and Lyft drivers with expensive chauffer’s licenses.
Illinois has finally recovered from the job losses suffered during the Great Recession, and its workforce continues to grow. But the state’s unemployment rate is also increasing, signaling that while the economy is recovering, it is still unable to meet the demands of a growing number of job seekers.