Rockford sees public pensions eat nearly 40% of municipal property taxes

09/16/2021

Public pensions are growing and taking a greater share of property taxes, hurting public services. Still, the average Rockford household owes over $35,000 in state and local pension debt.

TAGS: pensions, property taxes, Rockford

Rockford suffers worst month of job loss in nation

By Bryce Hill

06/17/2021

Eight of 13 Illinois-based metro areas lost jobs in April.

TAGS: jobs, metro areas, Rockford, unemployment

Pritzker claims statewide economic growth, but these Illinois metro areas are shedding jobs

By Bryce Hill

02/10/2020

Despite Gov. J.B. Pritzker touting growth in “every major region,” Illinois shed jobs in three metropolitan areas and lagged the national average in seven more.

TAGS: Bloomington, BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics, budget, Carbondale, Champaign, Chicago, constitutional amendment, economic competitiveness, economic growth, economics, economy, employment, fair tax, flat tax, government spending, graduated income tax, Great Recession, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, income growth, JB Pritzker, job creation, jobs, labor, Madison County, metro areas, Metro East, Moline, pensions, Peoria, population, progressive income tax, recession, Rockford, spending, spending cap, Springfield, St. Clair County, tax burden, tax hikes, tax increase, unemployment, Urbana, working-age

Lawmakers seek to place nation’s first job-killing amendment in Illinois Constitution

By Mailee Smith

02/05/2020

A proposal in the Illinois General Assembly would prohibit right-to-work laws in Illinois, making Illinois the only state in the nation to ban the policy in a state constitution.

TAGS: constitutional amendment, economic growth, graduated income tax, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Janus v. AFSCME, job creation, jobs, labor, lawmakers, private sector, progressive income tax, public sector, right to work, Rockford, Springfield, unions

Seal-Rite Door exits Rockford for Wisconsin

By Vincent Caruso

12/11/2018

Seal-Rite’s doors are hardly the first to close in Illinois and reopen in the Badger State.

TAGS: outmigration, pensions, property taxes, Rockford, taxes, workers compensation

Pension costs ravaging Rockford’s budget as leaders consider police and fire cuts

By Vincent Caruso

10/15/2018

Rising pension costs in Illinois’ fifth-largest city are pushing Rockford near the edge of a fiscal cliff – a fate that officials are looking to reverse with a series of steep public service cuts.

TAGS: budget, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, property taxes, Rockford, taxes

In a shrinking state, Census sheds light on struggling cities

By Austin Berg

05/24/2018

When people can’t find good job opportunities in Illinois, they are too often forced to leave. And to take their place, too few have enough confidence in the state to move in from elsewhere and build a future.

TAGS: Belleville, Decatur, jobs, outmigration, progressive income tax, property taxes, Robert Martwick, Rockford, taxes, U.S. Census Bureau, unemployment

Chicago was the only major U.S. city to lose population from 2016 to 2017

By Austin Berg

05/23/2018

In a shrinking state, half of Illinois’ largest cities have shed population since 2010.

TAGS: Belleville, Chicago, Decatur, jobs, Metro East, outmigration, Peoria, population, Rockford, spending, spending cap, U.S. Census Bureau

Illinois’ metro areas shed 3,600 jobs in March

By Bryce Hill

04/30/2018

Seven metro areas across the state lost jobs over the month.

TAGS: Bloomington, Champaign, Decatur, Elgin, IDES: Illinois Department of Employment Security, jobs, labor force participation rate, Peoria, Quad Cities, Rockford, Springfield, unemployment

Rockford receives credit downgrade as pension debt grows

By Robert Brutvan

07/12/2017

As pension debt mounts, Moody’s Investors Services has downgraded the city of Rockford to an A2 rating.

TAGS: downgrade, pensions, Rockford