Bryce Hill, Illinois Policy Institute News
Illinois population drops for 10th year in a row during 2023
People moving out of Illinois led to the 10th consecutive year of population decline, new Census Bureau data shows.
5 problems with report implying Illinois is growing. Problem No. 1: It's not
Authors left out key data that contradicted their findings to claim Illinois’ population is growing. Evidence Illinois is shrinking comes independently from the IRS, U.S. Census Bureau, Illinois Department of Revenue and multiple moving companies.
Pritzker doles out 19% raises and $1,200 stipend in largest AFSCME contract ever
Illinois’ largest public employee union, AFSCME Council 31, finalized their second contract with Gov. J.B. Pritzker July 25. New pay raises will cost taxpayers $625 million.
Pensions put Illinois' 2024 budget in red by over $4B
Illinois state lawmakers shorted pensions by $4.1 billion and killed scholarships for low-income students, but gave themselves pay raises and a new office building. Their budget leaves no room for error as revenue projections drop.
85% of Illinois communities lose people in 2022; Chicago loses 33K
1,108 Illinois communities of all sizes shared in the record loss of more than 104,000 residents in 2022, according to new Census Bureau data. Chicago lost 32% of the state’s total.
IRS: Illinois lost 105K residents, $11B in income to other states in 2021
Illinois lost more than 105,000 residents and $10.9 billion on net in adjusted gross income to other states from 2020-2021, according to new federal tax return data. Losses were spread across every age and income group.
91 out of 102 Illinois counties lose population in 2022
Illinois’ record population decline affected nearly all counties in 2022
Illinois forward 2024: A sustainable state budget plan
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Illinois’ financial health was the worst in the nation. An unprecedented influx of federal stimulus and bailouts, combined with stronger-than-expected rebounds in tax revenues, saved Illinois from financial ruin. If state lawmakers do not take advantage of this incredibly rare opportunity and pursue structural financial reforms, then state finances will return to their pre-pandemic status quo.
Outmigration caused Illinois' population to decline again in 2022
New Census Bureau data shows people moving out of Illinois continues to drive the state’s population decline. So many moved away in the year before July 2022, it was almost like Rockford disappearing.
Property taxes rise nearly $4B under Pritzker
Illinoisans will have paid an extra $3.94 billion in property taxes during Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s term. Four years ago he campaigned on a promise of property tax relief.
What a recession would mean for Illinois
Politicians and pundits can’t seem to agree about whether the U.S. is in a recession, but the semantics matter little for struggling Americans. Illinois can expect economic pain regardless of what it’s called.
Highest inflation in 40 years deals Illinoisans $2,900 pay cut
Wages have failed to keep up with inflation, dropping Illinoisans’ purchasing power by $2,900 on average.
Illinoisans see $2,200 pay cut thanks to inflation
Wages rose in Illinois, but inflation rose even more. That left the average worker almost $2,200 worse off.
Pritzker promotes false narrative of Illinois population 'boom'
Some Illinois politicians are using an estimate to revise the Census count and claim Illinois doesn't have a problem with its residents moving away. A closer look shows they are wrong, and the danger of denial.
Illinois adds 8,600 jobs in January, but still missing 200,100 from pandemic
Illinois’ employment recovery continued in January, but the state remains far from a full recovery and still lags the nation.
Illinois last in nation for growth in businesses that create jobs
Lots of businesses tried to get started during 2021 in Illinois, but the ones that create jobs had a tough time launching. That’s why Illinois unemployment remains high and salaries depressed during a national labor shortage.
Illinoisans pay highest sales taxes in Midwest, 8th in nation
Illinois’ combined state and average local retail sales tax rate topped 8.8% in 2022. That’s the 8th-highest in the nation and the highest in the Midwest.
Illinois loses more people faster to other states during COVID-19 pandemic
Illinois, California and New York shrank the most and lost people fastest during the COVID-19 pandemic. Texas and Florida grew the most. Idaho, Utah and Montana grew the fastest.
Illinois breaks record for population loss, outmigration in 2021
Despite a higher-than-expected 2020 population count, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates Illinoisans moving away was the sole reason for the state’s record loss of the equivalent of nearly everyone in Springfield.
Moving vans leave Illinois at over 9-times rate of other Midwestern states
Illinois suffered the largest population decline in the Midwest and of neighboring states during 2021.