By: Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner
It’s not just the projected five-year $23 billion budget deficit that Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his administration need to worry about these days. He also needs to get a handle on Illinois’ unemployment rolls, which have been creeping in the wrong direction for ten straight months.
The unemployed now total 346,000 Illinoisans.
Illinois’ unemployment rate also remained one of the nation’s worst in October, based on the most recent US Bureau of Labor Statistics release. At 5.3%, Illinois’ rate ranked third, behind only Nevada (5.7%) and California (5.4%). The national average for October was 4.1%.
All of Illinois’ neighboring states performed better, with some having unemployment rates that are one to two percentage points lower. Wisconsin and Iowa are particular standouts at 2.9% and 3%, the nation’s 6th- and 13th-lowest unemployment rates, respectively.
A considerable 157,000 more Illinoisans would be working today if Illinois had the same low unemployment rate as Wisconsin.
Gov. Pritzker has gotten lots of national attention for his threats to take on the federal government – “they come for my people they come through me” he recently warned the incoming Trump administration.
He’d be doing far more service to Illinoisans if he dropped the bravado and focused instead on getting the budget balanced – without tax hikes – and making sure Illinoisans have enough good jobs.
Read more from Wirepoints:
- Pritzker Appoints Self As Democracy’s Superhero
- Politicians’ five-step guide for making parents think all’s well in Illinois schools
- Pritzker admin’s past and future spending excesses mean $23 billion in upcoming deficits
- Gov. Pritzker downplays projected five-year $22 billion deficit, Wirepoints counters.
Audio and summary 
A largely unasked question is becoming glaring: Is Illinois doing all it should to use artificial intelligence to make government cost less and work better? So far, the evidence says no.
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The surrounding states (i did not look at MI) were able to recover to their pre pandemic UE rates (feb 2020) to 8/21 to 5/22. At 6/22 LOL Pritzker was at 4.5. Now he is at 5.3. The surrounding states have increased (if at all). JB LOL governor has never recovered but only made things worse.
Wirepoints is the only source for this information in Illinois. I’m not aware that any of the so called mainstream media cover any statistic that paints Illinois in an unfavorable light.
Carnival barkers. Wait for the state to question the BLS stats.