High cost of government shrinks Illinois’ workforce

By Orphe Divounguy

02/10/2022

Population decline has shrunk Illinois’ workforce and the relative size of the state economy. Attracting more workers from other states starts with lowering the cost of living, decreasing pension costs and debt, and improving the state’s social services.

TAGS: Illinois, jobs, labor force participation rate, property taxes, unemployment

Women driving Illinois’ labor market recovery

By Orphe Divounguy

11/22/2021

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

TAGS: COVID-19, economy, Illinois, labor force participation rate

All-time record 201,000 Illinoisans quit their jobs in August

By Bryce Hill

11/01/2021

Illinois’ sluggish labor market is driven by a record number of workers quitting their jobs at the same time there are fewer job opportunities than in nearly any other state. Even though an all-time record number of workers quit, Illinois was only No. 7 in the “Great Resignation.”

TAGS: Illinois, jobs, labor force participation rate, unemployment

Illinois sheds 7,900 jobs in May despite national recovery from COVID-19

By Bryce Hill

06/17/2021

Illinois saw six of 11 major industries shrink payrolls in May as the nation continued to regain jobs lost during the COVID-19 recession.

TAGS: Illinois, jobs, labor force participation rate, unemployment

COVID-19 potentially impacting one-fourth of Illinois workers

By Bryce Hill

04/07/2020

Business sectors directly affected by the coronavirus and mitigation employ 1.5 million Illinoisans. The longer the shutdown, the more industries and jobs face cuts.

TAGS: BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics, coronavirus, COVID-19, economic growth, labor force participation rate

Nearly 1.5M Illinois workers risk layoffs or reduced hours from COVID-19 economic fallout

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

04/03/2020

A quarter of Illinois’ workers are staring down the economic impacts of a global pandemic.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, GDP: gross domestic product, jobs, labor force participation rate, unemployment

Before COVID-19 downturn, Illinois saw shrinking payrolls and nation’s worst loss of manufacturing jobs

By Bryce Hill

03/31/2020

New data show Illinois lost private sector jobs amid a national economic expansion for the first year on record in 2019, a sign of the state’s deep structural problems in the run-up to the current market downturn.

TAGS: BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics, coronavirus, COVID-19, economic growth, employment, jobs, labor force participation rate, unemployment

‘Fair tax’ would cost Illinois 56K jobs

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

02/26/2020

Progressive income tax would essentially wipe out all 2019 employment gains in Illinois, and then some.

TAGS: fair tax, graduated income tax, JB Pritzker, jobs, labor force participation rate, metro areas, pensions, population, progressive income tax, tax hikes, unemployment

Suburban mayor opposes adding 1,500 jobs as Illinois struggles with employment

02/24/2020

Amazon bought the old commercial property, but Bolingbrook’s mayor opposes putting 1,500 jobs on it. Illinois’ job growth was below the national average in 2019.

TAGS: Amazon, Bolingbrook, economic growth, employment, JB Pritzker, jobs, labor force participation rate, Roger Claar, unemployment, zoning

State of the state: Pritzker saw worst first-year jobs numbers since Blagojevich

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

01/27/2020

Illinois job creation lagged the national median in nearly every sector.

TAGS: 401(k), BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Chicago, constitutional amendment, economic competitiveness, economic growth, fair tax, government spending, graduated income tax, housing, housing market, IDES: Illinois Department of Employment Security, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, income, income growth, JB Pritzker, job creation, jobs, labor, labor force participation rate, outmigration, pensions, personal income, population, private sector, progressive income tax, public sector, retirement age, spending, spending cap, Springfield, tax burden, tax hikes, tax increase, U.S. Census Bureau, unemployment