Jobs + Growth

Illinois is the 5th-worst state for small business

Illinois is the 5th-worst state for small business

The study, drawing upon data from more than 7,000 small business owners, provides new insights into state and local business environments across the nation.

Caterpillar layoffs a symptom of Illinois’ dire jobs climate

Caterpillar layoffs a symptom of Illinois’ dire jobs climate

Caterpillar Inc., one of the dozens of companies to receive special tax breaks after Illinois’ record 2011 income tax hike, recently announced plans to lay off more than 460 employees this June at its plant in Decatur.

US jobs report spells more bad news for Illinois

US jobs report spells more bad news for Illinois

The US economy created only 88,000 jobs in March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The market was expecting approximately 200,000 new payroll jobs.

Illinois one of only two states contracting

Illinois one of only two states contracting

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia announced that Illinois is one of two states that experienced economic decline during the past three months

Wrong way Illinois: January 2013 unemployment worsens compared with neighbors

Wrong way Illinois: January 2013 unemployment worsens compared with neighbors

The latest BLS unemployment release once again highlights how poorly Illinois is faring compared with its neighbors and the nation as a whole. Illinois’ January unemployment rate jumped to 9 percent, a 0.4 percent increase over December’s rate. Illinois now has the seventh-highest unemployment rate in the nation, with nearly 600,000 Illinoisans unemployed. Meanwhile, the...

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

Minimum wage increase would be a blow to unskilled workers

Minimum wage increase would be a blow to unskilled workers

Illinois already has the fourth-highest minimum wage in the nation and is one of 19 states with a minimum wage higher than the federal rate of $7.25 per hour. But the state’s current rate of $8.25 isn’t enough for Illinois lawmakers, who want to increase the minimum wage to $10.25 an hour. Efforts to increase the minimum...

By Benjamin VanMetre

Facing facts: the numbers show Illinois is losing people

Facing facts: the numbers show Illinois is losing people

Illinois loses one resident every 10 minutes to net out-migration. It should be no surprise that people are fleeing Illinois. Illinois ranks 48th in economic outlook, 45th in GDP growth between 2000 and 2010, and 47th in its level of entrepreneurial activity. There is little opportunity left for Illinois’ families and entrepreneurs to succeed. And...

By Benjamin VanMetre

Illinois’ unemployment rate jumped to 9 percent

Illinois’ unemployment rate jumped to 9 percent

In his budget address on Wednesday, Gov. Quinn touted the number of jobs that have been created during the past two years. The governor would have you believe that Illinois’ job crisis is over. But that’s far from the truth. As today’s labor release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows, Illinois’ unemployment rate jumped...

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

Four years of Quinn – higher taxes, bigger debts and no sign of change

Four years of Quinn – higher taxes, bigger debts and no sign of change

As Gov. Pat Quinn delivers his fifth annual budget proposal today, it’s important to review the governor’s track record and what his policies have meant for Illinois. When Quinn took office in 2009, Illinois was reeling from former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his culture of deficits and corruption. The state’s fiscal condition was a shaky...

By Benjamin VanMetre

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