Today, preliminary economic performance numbers for Illinois for the month of December were released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security. These numbers show Illinois lost 16,300 jobs in December, marking the largest, single-month job loss of the year. The new employment figures also show that Illinois had fewer jobs in December 2015 than it did at the start of 2015. The jobs numbers released today by IDES illustrate the difficult struggle Illinois has faced in recovering from jobs losses suffered during the Great Recession. On Tuesday, Jan. 26, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics will release a complete report for every state’s economic performance for the month of December. This will give a full view of Illinois’ economy and the state’s economic performance compared to neighboring states. 

Today’s economic report shows the dangerous loss of blue-collar jobs in Illinois over the past year. Industries such as manufacturing and transportation have suffered the largest job losses in the state and continue to show signs of decline. Blue-collar jobs such as manufacturing and transportation are important indicators of middle-class economic performance. 

“Unfortunately, Illinois workers continued to suffer from a state economy that cannot create the jobs the state desperately needs. This is the first time in more than five years that Illinois has fewer jobs at the end of the year than at the beginning. Any politician or Illinoisan who was unconvinced of the severity of Illinois’ economic problems should be well aware of it now,” said Michael Lucci, vice president of policy at the Illinois Policy Institute. “Losing more than 16,000 jobs in December alone – and the loss of 14,000 manufacturing jobs in 2015 – shows the serious need for economic reform in Illinois. Many manufacturers leaving the state cite the state’s high property taxes, out-of-control workers’ compensation policies and many other state policies that are forcing them to move out of Illinois in order to survive. These are the issues that state lawmakers must tackle.” 

Important numbers from today’s report include: 

• On net, Illinois lost 16,300 payroll jobs in December alone, the worst monthly job loss of any month in 2015.

• The trade, transportation and utilities sector suffered a loss of 12,100 jobs in December – the largest loss of any industry in the state. The manufacturing sector gained 500 jobs in December.

• The number of unemployed Illinoisans increased by 18,300 in December, causing the state’s unemployment rate to rise to 5.9 percent from 5.7 percent.

• Illinois lost 14,000 manufacturing jobs in 2015, and the state lost 6,900 trade, transportation and utilities jobs in 2015. 

• Illinois has 178,300 fewer people working today than in 2007, before the Great Recession, the worst recovery in the country. 

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