A national study ranked Chicago’s unemployment recovery 172nd out of the 180 most-populous U.S. cities. Lawmakers didn’t help when they imposed $655 million in new taxes on the state’s job creators.
To combat above-average unemployment, Illinois state leaders discussed a possible back-to-work bonus. The state would pay cash to those who go off unemployment.
Illinois shed 7,900 jobs in May but most of those losses were outside of urban areas.
On average, more than 4.7 million voting-age Illinoisans live in districts where there was only one option for the state House on the ballot, undermining their representation. Roughly half of all Illinois House races were uncontested under Illinois’ gerrymandered 2011 district map.
Unions put up roadblocks for bills that could have freed up more money for Illinois classrooms, expanded opportunities for Illinois health care workers and ensured police officers are subject to better accountability under state law.
“To work for UPS in Illinois, it’s mandatory to be a part of the Teamsters union. After being there for about four-and-a-half years, the Teamsters just created a very toxic environment, especially for a female to work in, so I quit.”
Chicago’s second-longest-serving alderman became the third sitting Chicago City Council member to come under federal indictment. She faces bribery charges.
On July 8, Illinois will begin the “All in for the Win” lottery with $10 million in federal funds used as prizes to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations. Three weeks after the shot lottery announcement, vaccination rates have dropped by more than half.
Illinois ranked 9th worst in the nation for offering students access to full-time in-person learning between September 2020 and April 2021 – less than any other Midwest state.
A recent study by the Fordham Institute critiqued Illinois’ education standards for U.S. history and civics education. Illinois’ standards lacked mention of historical concepts and did not offer goals for what each grade should learn in civics and U.S. History.
The minimum wage for residents working in Chicago and Cook County is increasing July 1. Research suggests the rise in wage rates will benefit the working Chicagoans at the expense of the city’s vulnerable unemployed.