More than three-quarters Illinois communities lost population over the year, and nearly all of the state’s major metro areas are lagging the nation on key economic indicators.
New data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show eight of Illinois’ 13 metro areas gained jobs over the month.
As part of Illinois’ statewide population drop in 2017, southern Illinois counties saw a continuation of population losses they’ve been seeing for years.
If current population trends hold, Rock Island, Illinois, will take a back seat to Bettendorf, Iowa, within five years.
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.
In a shrinking state, half of Illinois’ largest cities have shed population since 2010.
A series of occupational licensing reform bills making their way out of the General Assembly would help more Illinoisans enter the workforce.
The state also saw a drop in the unemployment rate over the month, fueled by employment gains and labor force decline.
“I’ve lived in Clinton since I was two years old. “The moving company is coming June 1. I sold my business as of this morning. “This is where the state loses. My income is fairly healthy. My wife’s income is fairly healthy. And we’re taking our two kids and we’re gone. “I built my house...
Most days in Harvey, a suburb 20 miles south of Chicago, are quiet. Thousands of people and numerous businesses have left the city over the years, and the void left in their wake is plain to see. But on a cold and wet April 14, dozens of longtime residents still fighting for what’s left packed...
Though some of Illinois’ larger municipalities such as Chicago and Evanston have been overly restrictive in regulating food trucks, the Carbondale City Council has debated loosening them for its city, soliciting mixed opinions.
Regulatory regimes in Illinois often discourage workforce participation without enhancing public welfare. One Senate bill, however, would require regulators to demonstrate the necessity of new rules before imposing them on workers.
Seven metro areas across the state lost jobs over the month.
The state also saw a drop in the unemployment rate, but it wasn’t because people found jobs.