Illinois’ unemployment rate (4.9%) is nearly a full percentage point higher than the rest of the country (4.1%), while almost all of our neighboring states have unemployment rates below the national average. If we were average, we would have nearly 60,000 more employed Illinoisans working, contributing to our economy, and pumping millions more tax dollars into the state and our local communities, according to an analysis conducted by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. (If you factor in potential jobs lost due to out-migration since 2010, we’re talking about half a million more employed people contributing $1 billion to the state alone.)
“If the state is serious about digging out of our financial hole, then creating opportunities for economic growth is by far the most effective thing we can do,” said State Representative Jeff Keicher. “That means rolling back the burdensome red tape that is holding us back and encouraging the development projects that position our state as a leader in growing industries, like data centers.”
Read more from the Chicago Tribune – Click Here.