ICYMI: Illinois Lags in Job Creation

CHICAGO - New federal numbers show the state's job creation rate is slower than surrounding states and continues to lose factory jobs, according to an article published by Reboot Illinois.

"Structural reforms outlined by Governor Rauner will help grow the economy, while saving local governments and taxpayers billions," Director of Communications Lance Trover said. "These federal statistics illustrate why the status quo continues to hurt Illinois."

The following is an excerpt from Reboot Illinois:

According to (the Bureau of Labor Statistics), Illinois has added only 13,400 payroll jobs so far this year, fewer than any neighboring state despite the fact that Illinois is the most populous state in the region.

Iowa has created more jobs from January through August 2015 than Illinois has despite having less than a quarter of Illinois' population. Missouri and Wisconsin have half as many residents as Illinois, but both have created twice as many jobs as Illinois has this year. The Hoosier State also has a population half the size of Illinois' and has created three times as many jobs as has the Land of Lincoln. Michigan's jobs growth is nearly four times that of Illinois' from January through August 2015.

Illinois' economic weak spot remains jobs growth in the manufacturing sector. In August, Illinois lost another 2,200 manufacturing jobs, resulting in a cumulative loss of 10,000 production jobs for the first eight months of 2015. Meanwhile, the other four Great Lakes manufacturing states have added a combined 31,400 manufacturing jobs in 2015.

Trends in manufacturing are especially revealing from a policy perspective because that sector bears the brunt of many of the state's most harmful economic and legal policies. Perhaps most importantly, manufacturing provides high-paying employment for people who don't go to college - a majority of Illinoisans - but manufacturing opportunities in Illinois dwindle month after month.

Politicians who work the current system to benefit themselves and their constituencies have sold out these industries and workers. Whether trial lawyers or union bosses, the special interests who set the agenda in Springfield aren't looking out for the good of Illinoisans such as those 300,000 manufacturing workers who have lost their jobs since 2000. These blue-collar job losses and the lack of new opportunities in manufacturing are the unfortunate byproduct of Illinois' policy failures and political dysfunction.