Strong jobs growth at the national level is good for Illinois, because its labor market remains one of the least recovered in the nation. As of May, the state was still missing more than 136,000 jobs compared to early 2020 levels. Illinois’ unemployment rate of 4.6% was among the highest in the nation.
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.
If a recession hits?