Trio of licensing reform bills advance to House floor
Trio of licensing reform bills advance to House floor
Three proposals that would ease occupational licensing restrictions have reached the House floor, passing unanimously out of committee.
Senate bill would bar Illinois from axing occupational licenses due to student loan debt
Senate bill would bar Illinois from axing occupational licenses due to student loan debt
Under Illinois law, defaulting on student loan debt could jeopardize one’s occupational license. But a Senate bill would protect indebted workers from displacement.
Revised data show Decatur added 400 jobs in 2017
Revised data show Decatur added 400 jobs in 2017
Revisions from the Bureau of Labor Statistics flipped Decatur’s jobs growth from negative to positive over the year, though the growth was meager.
3 Illinois metro areas saw jobs decline in 2017, 9 see growth in February
3 Illinois metro areas saw jobs decline in 2017, 9 see growth in February
Illinois’ metro areas added 11,300 jobs in February, while only one metro area lost jobs over the month. Despite strong employment growth from metro areas in February, Illinois is still far behind U.S. growth over the last 12 months.
Illinois Senate holds hearing on sports betting legalization
Illinois Senate holds hearing on sports betting legalization
As a looming U.S. Supreme Court decision could lift a federal ban on sports betting, state lawmakers hear testimony on whether Illinois should follow suit.
Study: Chicago’s regulatory roadblocks stifle the city’s food trucks
Study: Chicago’s regulatory roadblocks stifle the city’s food trucks
The country is enjoying a food truck boom, but overbearing regulations threaten the industry. According to a new study, Chicago’s regulatory burden is among the worst.
Outmigration fuels Madison, St. Clair County population dips in 2017
Outmigration fuels Madison, St. Clair County population dips in 2017
Madison and St. Clair counties both saw their populations decline from July 2016 to July 2017, thanks to outmigration – a problem the counties have been dealing with for years.
Illinois February jobs growth driven by surging local government payrolls
Illinois February jobs growth driven by surging local government payrolls
While Illinois outperformed the nation in terms of monthly employment growth for the first time since September 2017, Illinois payrolls have only increased half as fast as the rest of the nation in the past year.
Election season in the land of shrinkin’
Election season in the land of shrinkin’
Getting Illinois to grow again starts with getting those who remain to believe it’s possible. And even more, to believe it’s a state worth saving.
Of the nation’s 10 largest metro areas, only Chicago saw population loss in 2017
Of the nation’s 10 largest metro areas, only Chicago saw population loss in 2017
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area witnessed population decline over the year, as did nearly every other metro area in Illinois.
More than 80 percent of Illinois counties saw population loss in 2017
More than 80 percent of Illinois counties saw population loss in 2017
As outmigration fuels population decline throughout the state, Cook County saw the largest numeric population loss of any county in the nation.
Illinois metro areas yield slight jobs gain in January, but weak long-term trends persist
Illinois metro areas yield slight jobs gain in January, but weak long-term trends persist
Combined jobs growth was slightly positive across Illinois’ metro areas in January. But only four metro areas have recovered the jobs they lost during the Great Recession.
Bar crawl: Indiana reforms will slow business for Illinois liquor store owners
Bar crawl: Indiana reforms will slow business for Illinois liquor store owners
The cocktail of excise taxes heaped onto the sale of alcoholic beverages hits Illinois liquor stores near the Indiana border.
Illinois sees stagnant jobs growth, declining labor force in January
Illinois sees stagnant jobs growth, declining labor force in January
Despite healthy jobs growth nationally, Illinoisans are desperate for work.