Illinois has been lagging behind the rest of the region over the last decade, and will continue to do so if the state doesn’t enact necessary economic reforms.
The Romeoville fulfillment center is one of several Illinois facilities Amazon has opened or plans to open in the coming years. For some of those locations, Amazon has signed deals with the state of Illinois worth tens of millions in potential tax credits.
House Bill 2622 would create a state-run workers’ compensation insurance company using a $10M loan from the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission Operations Fund.
A new report from the Illinois Department of Employment Security shows Illinois had a modest net gain of 2,400 jobs in May, but still has fewer jobs today than before the Great Recession began.
1,120 of the jobs lost were in manufacturing and food processing.
Compared with Illinois’ pre-recession average, permits for new single-family and multiunit housing are down more than 60 percent.
Sears Holdings has dropped below the job threshold necessary to qualify for the $15 million in annual state tax credits for which it was once eligible.
Illinois’ total state economic activity has increased by only 4 percent since 2007, which is lower than the U.S.’ 10 percent GDP growth during the worst decade of the Great Depression.
Although Illinois hosts corporate headquarters of many large companies, its economy lags in blue-collar job opportunities.
Lawmakers’ proposed new and higher taxes would only make things harder for struggling Illinoisans.
Despite Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s spin, residents are fleeing Chicago, showing they feel they are better off elsewhere.
House Bill 3293, which would force any person or group that is not a school district, religious organization or transportation company, but that possesses a school bus, to change the appearance of the school bus, passed the Illinois General Assembly on the last day of spring session.
Middle class families are unwilling to live in a city where there aren’t enough jobs and the cost of living is too high.
The General Assembly hasn’t made significant traction on a balanced budget before session ends, but the Illinois Senate had time May 30 to pass a bill regulating trampoline safety.