A press release from Gov. JB Pritzker and many news stories are trumpeting the news under headlines like this from Bloomberg: “Pritzker scores win as battery maker Pure Lithium moves to Chicago,” with the adoring picture of the governor shown here.
Hurray?
The relocation bribe in this case is $4.4 million, according to a Crain’s calculation, under the REV program through which Illinois gives tax credits to companies creating new jobs. That’s for just 50 new jobs.
That’s $88,000 per job, which is on the high end in the world of location incentives paid by the states that pay these bribes. Estimated average location incentives paid by state and local governments around the nation range from $13,000 to $84,000 per job, though sometimes go as high as $100,000 per job for capital intensive projects. Bloomberg and many of the other stories didn’t mention any of that.
And are 50 jobs worth any headlines? That’s 0.000004 of Illinois’ population.
In case you’re innumerate, as Pritzker and the headline writers probably assume, that’s basically nothing. Yet Pritzker’s press release says, “This major investment project is part of the State’s direct effort to achieve the goals of Illinois’ Economic Growth Plan.”
“Counting on innumeracy.” Maybe that should be his campaign motto.
-Mark Glennon
With $162 billion more from taxpayers, couldn’t you deliver a few bond upgrades, too
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.
It ain’t his money so the fat entitled rich kid doesn’t care. It’s as simple as that.
Why bother, they will leave the state just like everyone else. Illinois should just embrace failure and be happy with what they have created. Illinois has chased away so many valuable businesses and now they are looking to bribe anyone dumb enough to accept it.
Ha, He is So smart, actually his advisors tell him what to do, those are the people who are taking all the kick backs and have their kids set up with big jobs downtown. Another funny one is Stellantis in Belvidere, its still a ghost town. When was big guys press conference on giving away that money, 2023?
JB the Hutt has never had a real job and his only connection to hard work is witnessing it from afar. This lack of experience and accomplishment advises the Hutt’s every decision. This is how doling out confiscated taxpayer funds tor bribe employers to locate to business-unfriendly Madiganistan is touted as a ‘success’. It’s a mini Boeing.
Again, keep an eye on where this company and it’s employees and directors send their political contributions…
Wirepoints’ estimate of $13,000 to $48,000 per job seems low to me. Take a look at the “megadeals” reported by Good Jobs First. The most recent one showing number of jobs works out to $259,000 per job. It’s interesting to see the deals given to companies who have since departed, such as Boeing and Sears.
Updated: That’s just one entry from their “Megadeals” subset that’s about unusually big subsidies, and is not indicative of averages. I reached out to Good Jobs First about the real averages and they suggested I rely on this, which is very interesting. https://www.nysenate.gov/sites/default/files/bartik_testimony_on_incentives_to_nysenate_jan_14_2022.docx.pdf It’s testimony from an expert saying the average incentive package is $50,000 per job. However, many of the jobs would have been created anyway, without the incentives. So, he calculates that the true cost of creating a new job is $200,000 per job. That logic makes perfect sense to me. It’s the issue for any job creation… Read more »
meanwhile state unemployment keeps going up another:
Not huge #’s, but I believe that’s 3rd highest nationally.
(https://www.pontiacdailyleader.com/story/news/2025/07/10/unemployment-numbers/84532053007/)
How can this man look in the mirror and be proud of his accomplishments. What a Putz-ger
“ I’m a duplicitous, lying, Marxist, trust fund baby jerk.” should be his motto. It will be his legacy.
Counting on innumeracy. And the public schools deliver.
Meanwhile, Hyundai is building a new plant near Savannah, GA that will provide over 12,500 jobs. Numerous plants either being built or expanding in GA, SC and others providing thousands of jobs, more jobs than they can fill. And Pritzker brags about 50.
Let’s see if the 50 jobs for Americans show up. Could just be another New Green Steal hoax like Rivian. Taxpayers are on the hook for the largesse to Democrat donors, so Democrats like Pritzker don’t really care as long as they get positive press out of their propaganda media.