By: Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner
The latest labor report for October shows Illinois still has the nation’s 3rd-worst unemployment rate in the country. A 4.6 percent jobless rate means 297,000 Illinoisans are unemployed.
Nevada, at 5.4 percent, had the nation’s highest unemployment rate, followed by California at 4.8 percent according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
October marks the 3rd month in a row where Illinois’ unemployment rate grew, up from a low of 4 percent in June-July 2023.
All of Illinois’ neighboring states have unemployment rates lower than Illinois’, some significantly lower. Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin all had jobless rates of less than 3.5 percent.
If Illinois had the same unemployment rate as Missouri, 95,000 more Illinoisans would be working today.
Illinois’ unemployment rate has been ranked among the nation’s top 10 for years and the last two years have been no different. More recently, Illinois’ rank has been creeping up back towards the very top after falling to 6th-worst in March of this year.
Illinois is already a tough place to live with its high taxes, stagnant home values and huge debts. An uncompetitive jobs market gives Illinoisans yet another reason to leave.
Read more from Wirepoints:
Audio and summary 
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
“The natural unemployment rate is the lowest level sustainable without creating inflation. In a healthy economy, workers are always coming and going, looking for better jobs. Until they find that new job, this jobless status is the natural rate of unemployment.” You can’t have high unemployment and high inflation at the same time. That’s stagflation and that has not happened in this country since the 70s. Zero unemployment is unattainable. In Chicago, everyone with a modicum of a skill is working. In some fields, it takes more than 9 months to find a suitable candidate and the game seems to… Read more »
If everyone in Chicago with a modicum of skill is working, then why are we spending massive taxpayer dollars to “create more jobs”? Doesn’t make a lot of sense, seems like there would be better uses for the money than focusing on a problem that doesn’t exist.
Actually, I think you are right. Those who are willing to work, with any marketable skills, are already working. Pretending that “more jobs” is going to fix the problem with the rest is just a fantasy.
I’d like to add OH and PA as comps as well because, from a GDP perspective, they’re in the same tier as Illinois.
Not surprising in a state of 12.5 M where 2.1M are on welfare. “ Get a job? You’re harsh in’ my buzz! Working 40 hours a week is sooo 2020, man!”.
Residents are chasing away Gotion. Stupid thing in the long run. Jobs are what provide a good standard of living for everyone for decades to come.
Gotion jobs at what cost? Billions of taxpayers dollars, using 800K gallons of water a day and an unstable product plant that touts the extensive sprinkler system that, we’ve found out, can’t use liquid to douse fires involving lithium . Add in fact that “ green “ companies are going belly up left and right and it really doesn’t make much sense.
If Illinois is such a great place for EV, why can we only attract some third-rate communists and not more reputable players like Toyota or Mercedes?
I remember when Pritzker told us to follow the science. Well the science demonstrates that despite continuous bold claims to contrary, Illinois does not have a strong job market. The progressive policies of Pritzker have driven businesses away, and entitlements have kept couch dwellers on the couch. Those are the facts JB.
I think when Pritzker said follow the science he really meant follow the Science Fiction.
I remember when Pritzger beat it out of IL and away from his draconian lockdowns . Anyone that listens to that duplicitous, lying trust fund baby needs their head examined.
Most of my neighbors and friends I talked to during the later days of the lockdowns had no idea that all of our surrounding states were 100% open; and those that were aware thought that it was ‘bad’ that WI/IN/KY/IA/MO didn’t require masks. Two of my normie friends/neighbors thought JB was ‘doing a good job keeping us safe’. That’s what they said, having no idea that our surrounding states were completely open, no masks, and many of them had lower ‘rona transmission rates. But that’s the power of the fake news propaganda controlling the narrative for normie joe who might… Read more »