WalletHub Ranks Illinois 33rd for Employment
A WalletHub report released October 28 places Illinois 33rd among states for employment, with Missouri ranked 14th.
Live Poll
Do you think job conditions in your state are getting better?
Illinois Economics News
In Illinois, economics news means the state's overall economic performance, the policy decisions shaping it and the data that measures both. Coverage here follows statewide growth, jobs, budgets and cost of living.
Employment
Pritzker Unveils 75-Page Federal Policy Road Map
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker's Day One Agenda urges Congress to act on immigration, digital protection and the federal minimum wage.
Inflation
Live Poll
Are you finding that current fuel prices are significantly straining your household budget?
Illinois Gas Prices Average $4.85 per Gallon
The state currently records the fourth-highest average gasoline prices across the country.
Economic Policy
Live Poll
Do you believe high levels of government spending lead to increased social instability in a country?
Ken Griffin Links French Unrest to Illinois Policy
The hedge fund manager compared recent riots in France to past safety concerns in Chicago.
Economic Indicators
Live Poll
Do you believe higher state taxes are justified to improve a state government's credit rating?
Illinois Has Received 12 Credit Rating Upgrades
The state has achieved consecutive fiscal improvements alongside eight years of balanced budgets.
Regional Economics
Live Poll
Do you think tax-incentive investment zones will improve your community's economy?
Illinois Gets 240 Opportunity Zones 2.0 Tracts
The U.S. Treasury approved 240 Illinois census tracts for the next round of federally designated Opportunity Zones.
This section follows state economic data releases, budget and tax policy in Springfield, employment and wage trends, and the Chicago metro economy that drives much of the state's output. Coverage runs from the capital to the rural counties, since downstate conditions often differ sharply from the Chicago region. Manufacturing, agriculture and logistics shape the state's economy in ways national headlines rarely capture. Population movement and the rising cost of housing are the two forces that keep reappearing in state economic reporting.