Illinois lost 80,000 millennials between 2011-2015
Illinois lost 80,000 millennials between 2011-2015
Millennial out-migration from the Land of Lincoln is worse than all its neighboring states.
October BLS jobs report: Illinois has region’s heaviest manufacturing job losses in 2015 and 2016
October BLS jobs report: Illinois has region’s heaviest manufacturing job losses in 2015 and 2016
Since the beginning of 2015, Illinois has lost 14,100 manufacturing jobs.
Home-sharing brings out the best in us
Home-sharing brings out the best in us
New Airbnb regulations pose a serious problem for Chicagoans.
Federal tax changes could pressure Illinois to repeal death tax
Federal tax changes could pressure Illinois to repeal death tax
A repeal of the federal estate tax would make it imperative that Illinois get rid of its own state death tax to avoid losing even more residents and income to other states.
Local worker freedom law upheld in Kentucky, making worker freedom more likely for Illinois
Local worker freedom law upheld in Kentucky, making worker freedom more likely for Illinois
Illinois may soon be surrounded by Right-to-Work states.
October jobs report: +2,200 jobs, but workforce dropout and unemployment rise
October jobs report: +2,200 jobs, but workforce dropout and unemployment rise
New IDES data show that Illinois’ overall jobs growth was weak for October. While the greater Chicago area had tepid jobs growth over the year, the rest of the state lost jobs.
Illinois metro jobs data tell a tale of two states
Illinois metro jobs data tell a tale of two states
Metropolitan jobs data show that from September 2015 – September 2016 the greater Chicago area is up approximately 49,000 jobs, while the rest of the state is down 6,000 jobs.
A sorry state: Illinois’ economy in 2017
A sorry state: Illinois’ economy in 2017
Since the end of the recession, only 5 out of Illinois’ 13 metro areas – Carbondale-Marion, Chicago, Kankakee, Lake County-Kenosha County and Springfield – have recovered all the private-sector jobs lost from the Great Recession.
Lawsuit challenges Chicago’s unconstitutional Airbnb ordinance
Lawsuit challenges Chicago’s unconstitutional Airbnb ordinance
Airbnb has reported that about 4,800 Chicagoans are Airbnb hosts, and they earn an average of $5,300 per year renting out their homes through the service.
Time to take action on Illinois’ manufacturing meltdown
Time to take action on Illinois’ manufacturing meltdown
More than 6,000 Illinois manufacturing jobs disappeared in 2015.
Illinois’ wealth flight explained in 4 graphics
Illinois’ wealth flight explained in 4 graphics
IRS data show the average income of taxpayers leaving Illinois surpassed the average income of taxpayers entering the state by $20,000 in 2014, a record loss for Illinois in the wake of the 2011 income-tax hike.
Legal food carts roll into Chicago, but roadblocks abound
Legal food carts roll into Chicago, but roadblocks abound
An otherwise ordinary fall day turned joyous on Sept. 24, 2015. Dozens of food-cart street vendors rallied at Chicago City Hall to show support for an ordinance that would legalize the vendors’ trade. Approximately 1,500 food carts – beloved by their communities in Chicago’s predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods – had operated in an underground economy for...
Food trucks fight for the right to exist
Food trucks fight for the right to exist
Pepe Balanzar learned to make tamales from his grandmother. Growing up in the restaurant business, she would make one batch for selling and one batch for family. The family batch had more meat, more “masa,” or dough, and more flavor. So when Balanzar opened Chicago’s first food truck, he had to choose a side: Which...
Illinois remains most expensive state in Midwest for workers’ compensation
Illinois remains most expensive state in Midwest for workers’ compensation
The regulatory cost of doing business in Illinois remains the highest in the Midwest for workers’ compensation, according to the 2016 Oregon Workers’ Compensation Premium Rate Ranking study.[1] Illinois’ out-of-balance workers’ compensation laws contribute to the Land of Lincoln’s loss of industrial investment and blue-collar job opportunities. Illinois manufacturing firms often cite workers’ compensation as...