The new IDES release also contained data by metropolitan statistical area, or MSA. Of Illinois’ 14 MSAs, eight saw jobs growth of less than 1 percent. Only five of Illinois’ MSAs saw jobs growth higher than the national average: Springfield, Kankakee, Lake County-Kenosha County, Bloomington and Carbondale-Marion.
The Decatur MSA experienced no jobs growth over the year. Rockford and Danville each lost 200 jobs over the year, on net.
The IDES data underscore a lack of economic reforms in the budget passed by state lawmakers earlier this month, which included the largest permanent income tax hike in state history.
Take Decatur, for example. Moody’s Analytics revealed earlier this year that the former manufacturing titan was one of four Illinois metro areas where the recession recovery was at risk of “coming undone.” Researchers also included Danville on that list.
Decatur residents are in dire need of healthier incomes. Even the hope of decent jobs growth would be a vast improvement.
Instead, the tax hike will force the average Decatur resident to send $580 more each year to state government, according to the Decatur Herald & Review. That’s money that could have been spent locally at struggling small businesses, put toward college savings or spent on household essentials. Instead, it will vanish into Springfield’s sinkhole of debt.
Illinois’ sickly economy doesn’t just show itself in poor jobs numbers, but in paychecks as well. The Land of Lincoln is home to the worst personal income growth in the United States over the Great Recession era. |
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