* This IMA graphic shows manufacturing job growth from August, 2016-July, 2017…
Oof.
* Press release…
– Illinois has passed a budget which includes tax hikes on job creators and yet, it is not balanced. Illinois has passed so-called education reforms that do not include property tax reform, comprehensive mandate relief or any effort to address the ever-increasing pension debt our state faces. But, when it comes to pro-growth plans to secure the economic future of our state’s middle class, Springfield has failed. Today, August 30, 2017, marks exactly one year since Greg Baise, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association addressed the City Club of Chicago and made a passionate call to Illinois lawmakers. In that address, he warned that Illinois government is closing business one day at a time. Baise spoke to the hemorrhaging of manufacturing jobs in Illinois – more than 300,000 jobs lost since 2000.
Baise’s message one year ago was clear: the revitalization of our middle class and manufacturing job economy directly correlates to public policy that encourages pro-growth policies, a stable economy and creating a more friendly business climate. Yet, lawmakers failed to heed this warning or enact reforms. Despite repeated calls for compromise, Illinois lawmakers passed a massive $5 billion tax hike that failed to include any meaningful reforms that could revitalize the economy and send a strong signal that Illinois is a good place to do business. Every major business group labeled the 2017 legislative session as one of the worst for employers.
It comes as no surprise that the failure of the legislature to act has resulted in Illinois continuing to lag behind neighboring states. From August 2016 to July 2017, Illinois has only added 600 manufacturing jobs while neighboring states have added: 9,900 in Wisconsin, 5,600 in Michigan, 6,000 in Indiana, 5,800 in Missouri and 1,800 in Iowa.
“Illinois lawmakers failed job creators again while continuing to protect wealthy trial lawyers and labor union bosses. Since last year, the General Assembly imposed a massive $5 billion tax hike while threatening a whopping 82 percent spike in the minimum wage and a new paid leave mandate on every Illinois business. We trail nearly every state in key indicators such as unemployment rate, GDP growth, and manufacturing job loss not to mention leading the country in the outmigration of residents who are fleeing our state,” said Baise. “At what point will legislators wake up to the reality that is looking them in the mirror? Lawmakers need to stop passing job crushing taxes and regulations to stop the bleeding and start restoring stability and predictability. Economic reforms must be a number one priority during veto session or we will continue to see manufacturing job numbers that pale in comparison to our neighbors and a middle class population that continues to struggle without well-paying manufacturing jobs.”
The IMA will continue to champion the immediate and long-term solutions put forward in the Middle Class Manufacturing Agenda which includes meaningful and permanent workers compensation reform, tax code reform, fiscal reform, property tax reform, and a strengthened education and workforce development system.
The IMA urges lawmakers to prioritize a manufacturing rebirth in Illinois in order to revitalize the middle-class and help jumpstart the state’s economy.
Not one mention of the governor.
*** UPDATE *** Wordslinger ran the numbers for this year and found a far different result…
I understand IMAs cherry picking short-term stats for propaganda, but you can take the very same BLS stats and write a press release and design a graphic with this headline:
“Manufacturing Giant Illinois Leads Midwest in New Jobs in 2017″
Total new manufacturing jobs since Jan. 2017 and overall totals, according to BLS.
IL — 6,600/ 574,400
MO — 5,900 / 269,300
WI — 4,400 / 473,500
IA — 4,000 / 215,200
MN — 3,400 / 320,400
IN — 900 / 528,000
KY — 300 / 253,000
MI — 200 / 604,400
You’re kidding yourself if you think long-term manufacturing trends are being decided in state capitals — or with corporate welfare handouts.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:21 am:
===Baise’s message one year ago was clear: the revitalization of our middle class and manufacturing job economy directly correlates to public policy that encourages pro-growth policies, a stable economy.===
The last measurable accounting of these words was…
1.4% growth or $500+ million
In all these words, describing what is an undisputed terrible graphic showing awful numbers…
… where are the measurables?
These are business-people, concerned about a graphic and number that shows the clear deficiency, yet no numbers to make a case?
And yes, it’s convenient to not have the Governor’s name included.
- City Zen - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:23 am:
Of these jobs created, how many are attached to new vs existing businesses?
- Steve - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:24 am:
There is competition for manufacturing jobs among the states. This isn’t a priority in Illinois. There are other places to do business.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:28 am:
Oooh-shiny, pretty propaganda. Nice colors. Look how big the font is in the only red state - scary, scary stuff.
==Illinois lawmakers failed job creators again while continuing to protect wealthy trial lawyers and labor union bosses. ==
Gasp
Thanks IMA for claiming that near-extinct unions are sapping our manufacturing life blood. Yeah, we gotta be like Sri Lanka and hustle back to getting our pre-schoolers back to rolling cigars for a dime a week, or working those mines. We’d get those manufacturing jobs back, right?
LOL
- Downstate - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:29 am:
2 out of every 3 jobs in Illinois is with a small business. Illinois small business owners don’t feel real optimistic right now. They’ve begged for work comp. relief but are told that “we’ve already reformed the system, so we’re good”.
Small Business owners understand economics well enough to know that employers and their employees will be footing the bill for Illinois’ future. What’s the incentive to keep investing in a state that thinks you are an idiot?
- My New Handle - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:29 am:
We know what great governors business people make, what business-friendly policies like running up $11 billion more state debt, stringing out public higher education to near collapse, closing a state museum just for spite, continually bad-mouthing the state and its largest city, not paying vendors in anywhere near timely fashion thus racking up more interest debt. Yah, save it Greg. You want more manufacturing jobs? Then help Illinois become a better place for people to live.
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:31 am:
How many more manufacturing jobs were created when the tax expired in 2015? Work comp costs are down. energy costs are down. Fracking bill was passed on their behalf.
- Chuckee Baby - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:34 am:
This is not good…doesn’t matter what your political beliefs are.
Are they still people that do not believe that Illinois has a bad job creation environment?
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:35 am:
My New Handle has it. Quit bad mouthing Illinois.
- Generic Drone - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:35 am:
Hmm. They must have forgot the Exelon bailout.
- Robert the 1st - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:37 am:
360- before Rauner, hadn’t we been trying your “Whistle past the Graveyard” technique for a few decades? How’d that work?
- Periwinkle - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:37 am:
Also agree with My New Handle. Rauner makes a laughing stock of the state and is always saying what a crappy place Illinois is to do business. Amazing how that doesn’t draw businesses.
- Saluki - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:38 am:
Where is the Democratic plan to address this issue?
- Cheap Seats - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:39 am:
Who are the wealthy Union bosses so often referenced?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:39 am:
===Where is the Democratic plan to address this issue?===
Are you saying Rauner’s abysmal plan is already a failure?
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:43 am:
==before Rauner, hadn’t we been trying your “Whistle past the Graveyard” technique for a few decades? How’d that work?==
“He might have burned the barn down, but it was full of combustible straw and hay - and made of wood. And old too - stood there for 35 years.
- Steve - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:46 am:
If we only could have one party rule with no dissent that wanted high progressive state income taxes, more regulations, and even stronger unions…utopia would be achieved. Strength through unity.
- Ghost - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:46 am:
not in the data, what the states paid for the jobs. If you pay what wisconsin paid for fox conn your state is losing money. adding jobs that dont benefit the state do to large concessions is not growth.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:50 am:
==Where is the Democratic plan to address this issue?==
I agree that Democrats need to articulate a comprehensive plan to clean up Rauner’s messes.
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:51 am:
Here are the entire numbers of manufacturing employment in Illinois since 2001. It seems to be a trend that manufacturing jobs have gone down, even under the Ryan administration. These are monthly numbers, with the very last number being the annual average…
Series Id: ENU170001051013
State: Illinois
Area: Illinois — Statewide
Industry: Manufacturing
Owner: Private
Size: All establishment sizes
Type: All Employees
Download:
Year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Annual
2001
841540 841090 838530 830934 826668 827112 808712 807426 803870 793512 785844 782452 815641
2002
764605 762004 761553 760073 759245 761750 752260 753271 751355 745370 744427 742638 754879
2003
726335 725500 724808 722039 720375 720515 710796 711154 709552 705822 704270 705694 715572
2004
692032 692044 694126 694464 697033 702827 698159 699365 699737 696225 695769 696401 696515
2005
686661 686921 688036 690606 690519 693379 688428 689176 688272 685977 686833 687986 688566
2006
680508 680565 679740 682090 681307 687501 684956 683783 684300 681965 682489 683372 682715
2007
676807 675088 676270 676150 676662 680520 675541 675218 673244 669050 671675 673373 674967
2008
667463 664028 663985 662908 662853 665716 660923 659315 656302 650762 646353 637380 658166
2009
616863 606748 597757 583801 574884 572047 564617 565066 564727 561526 560152 559718 577326
2010
550266 551420 552639 554677 557470 561502 561464 564227 563541 566239 567661 569352 560038
2011
565098 565487 568280 571154 572533 577082 576508 577331 575438 576152 577184 577352 573300
2012
573445 574859 577750 579598 581554 586506 587302 587687 586867 584230 584857 584471 582427
2013
577870 578388 579110 577476 578613 582598 578930 579892 577105 576637 579025 578785 578702
2014
573637 574262 577164 576764 578881 582684 580658 581217 578749 579660 580400 582039 578843
2015
577932 578412 579257 578475 581341 585435 583566 582066 580202 578149 577708 577777 580027
2016
573543(P) 574150(P) 573955(P) 573793(P) 574577(P) 576726(P) 575731(P) 574235(P) 571576(P) 570543(P) 571748(P) 572064(P) 573553(P)
- Robert the 1st - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:53 am:
It’s amazing driving from downstate IL into another state. The difference is night/day. IL downstate towns are trapped in the past, aging and rusted, while surrounding states continue to move forward with time. Kind of reminds me of satellite photos of North Korea at night or the 1950s cars in Cuba.
- Skeptic - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:56 am:
“Not one mention of the governor…” who said there were dozens of companies anxious to create jobs here if only we had term limits. Do you believe him? I sure don’t.
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:57 am:
Robert the 1st. I would ask the UAW about the concessions they took to save the auto industry. Massive federal government bail out to save the auto industry. In Illinois we just put the EDGE tax credit in place again. Work comp costs have been declining since 2012. Energy costs went down, again fracking was passed for the IMA. Capital bill in 2009 (we need another one). What is left to do to help them?
- Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:59 am:
@Robert the 1st
Bite me.
- 4 percent - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 11:01 am:
@360
The simple fact is that Illinois trails the midwest and most of the nation in manufacturing growth. Other states are adding thousands of jobs despite much smaller populations. And I’d remind you that the loss of manufacturing jobs has a direct link to the loss of many union jobs because they go hand in hand.
- @MisterJayEm - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 11:03 am:
Then a drive to Chicago and the collar counties must really blow your mind.
– MrJM
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 11:04 am:
“Illinois lawmakers failed job creators again while continuing to protect wealthy trial lawyers and labor union bosses.”
Translation: Manufacturers should extort states so labor costs and protections should be sharply reduced or manufacturing won’t come here. That’s not a way to build a good economy, either. If it was, the economy would have been poor a long time ago, when unionization rates were higher.
Plus, stop insinuating that union leaders are corrupt criminals. We need better dialogue and to treat each other better. As Mike Stivic said in an “All in the Family” episode, a fist gets a fist. So let’s stop with the harmful, inflammatory dog whistles.
I saw last night on WTTW the story of Colorado investing in trades and manufacturing, as much-needed alternatives to college. I agree very much with investing in trades and education for manufacturing jobs.
Last I checked, around a month ago, Colorado had a 2.6% unemployment rate. Unionization increased there. So there’s that alternative to examine.
- The_Equalizer - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 11:04 am:
I think it did mention Rauner there. Let me see….
“Job creators”. There it is. /s
- City Zen - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 11:06 am:
==“He might have burned the barn down, but it was full of combustible straw and hay - and made of wood==
I always pictured Illinois’ barn filled with manure, Daley’s left over wrought iron fencing, and stacks of pension promissory notes.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 11:09 am:
Some context: Despite these sobering numbers from IMA, Illinois still has more manufacturing jobs than any of these states except Michigan. Illinois has 571,800 jobs in this sector. Although MI has more jobs, the wages in Illinois are higher, with an average salary of $84,000 in the sector. Below are the number of manufacturing jobs and average wages by state.
WI = 472,400 jobs, $69,000
IN = 516,900 jobs, $74,000
IA = 210,600 jobs, $67,000
MN = 316,600 jobs, $74,000
KY = 243,600 jobs, $68,000
MI = 598,800 jobs, $77,000
If the plan is to add jobs by lowering wages, I’ll pass. Also, Illinois is less reliant on manufacturing than some of these states, with less than 10% of non-farm payroll coming from manufacturing. In Indiana, almost 17% of non-farm jobs are in manufacturing, leaving it more vulnerable to shifts in global trade and competition.
Source: http://www.nam.org/Data-and-Reports/State-Manufacturing-Data/
The picture is not as gloomy as IMA would lead you to believe. It ain’t great either, but context helps and charts like the above are intended to mislead, not to inform.
- the Patriot - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 11:09 am:
Willy, I dispute the question. To infer Rauner’s plan is a failure, one has to acknowledge he has a plan. He has talking points not a plan.
Work Comp Reform with no legislation is 3 words on a note card, not a plan.
Property tax relief is the same.
The reality is that at this point it appears the two major parties are going to leave us with choosing between a guy with no plan, and someone who yield to Madigan’s tax and spend plan we know doesn’t work.
Still waiting for someone to pop up and say, “maybe we should get us some of that Re-Form Too,”
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 11:10 am:
4 percent, don’t disagree with you. Need more jobs. I just tire of big business always trying to extort more from workers and looking for government hand outs.
- David - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 11:12 am:
Most states have lost about a third of manufacturing jobs since 1999. The Economic Policy Institute estimates 149000 of our job losses were China. The other were a combo of mergers,automation and antiquated products.This stuff from the IMA is just something to generate political talking points. What is the IMA position on PNTR with China?
- Harry - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 11:19 am:
Last week I read about the Foxconn deal in Wisconsin. Walker said that Foxconn wanted to be near Chicago but not in Illinois. THAT would be worth some reporter following up on.
And all reflexive Democrats don’t have to harangue me about how Wisconsin probably overpaid–I agree, they probably did, but that’s not what I’m talking about.
- oof - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 11:23 am:
@47th Ward
Now adjust for cost of living. There’s your problem. And remember, IL has the worst personal income growth in the nation over the recession era.
Your head in the sand approach is representative of the D platform on IL’s manufacturing woes. They own this.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 11:27 am:
- Not one mention of the governor. -
If Baise’s mission wasn’t so transparently partisan I might take his policy suggestions more seriously. IMA needs some new blood.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 11:28 am:
===Your head in the sand approach===
Is that you, Greg? Lol. I’d rather have my head in the sand than the uncomfortably and smelly place yours is. Data are data. You don’t have to like them, but I thought, since IMA left out a bunch of info, I’d add some.
If you want to take a $16,000 pay cut to work in Wisconsin, don’t let me stop you. Also, since your income taxes will be higher there too, it’s more than a $16,000 cut. Finally, try not to lose an arm on the job.
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 11:28 am:
Maybe if income inequality wasn’t so bad in our country, people would buy more stuff, leading to more manufacturing jobs.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 11:28 am:
Keep in mind, the “Dems” and “Madigan” and “30 years” and all the tired deflections…
Rauner’s own measurables are 1.4% or $500+ million
The point Baise uses numbers to “point” to a problem, but didn’t “point” to number solutions by Gov. Rauner or mention Gov. Rauner at all is a huge white flag of surrender that Rauner’s agenda, “by name” isn’t the real answer.
The buzz words, even the mirrored words of Rauner’s have the missing element of numbers where the solution exists.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 11:33 am:
==They own this.==
Nah, the economic conditions of the day fall disproportionately on the chief executive. Always have, always will, no matter how many times said chief executive mutters “But Madigan!”
- Shemp - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 11:41 am:
I see the apologists are out en masse today.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 11:54 am:
I understand IMAs cherry picking short-term stats for propaganda, but you can take the very same BLS stats and write a press release and design a graphic with this headline:
“Manufacturing Giant Illinois Leads Midwest in New Jobs in 2017″
Total new manufacturing jobs since Jan. 2017 and overall totals, according to BLS.
IL — 6,600/ 574,400
MO — 5,900 / 269,300
WI — 4,400 / 473,500
IA — 4,000 / 215,200
MN — 3,400 / 320,400
IN — 900 / 528,000
KY — 300 / 253,000
MI — 200 / 604,400
You’re kidding yourself if you think long-term manufacturing trends are being decided in state capitals — or with corporate welfare handouts.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 12:00 pm:
As business leaves, so do the jobs, so do the workers, and the taxes will just keep going up.
- Blue dog dem - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 12:01 pm:
Thank goodness for EDGE and DCEO. Must be doing a heckuva job.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 12:08 pm:
Downstate is like North Korea and Cuba, Robert the First?
You’re definitely a first-rate something, alright.
- City Zen - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 12:26 pm:
==Colorado had a 2.6% unemployment rate. Unionization increased there. ==
And a FLAT state income tax rate lower than Illinois.
- City Zen - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 12:36 pm:
==Now adjust for cost of living.==
COL rankings of our neighbors:
MI 4th
MO 7th
IN 10th
IA 13th
KY 19th
WI 23rd
IL 25th
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 12:55 pm:
Could Baise and IMA put out a press release explaining why Illinois manufacturing jobs have increased by 6,600 since January — from 567,800 to 574,400, according to BLS?
Is that not statistically significant? If not, why is the time period they cherry picked significant?
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 1:03 pm:
“And a FLAT state income tax rate lower than Illinois.”
The Colorado state income tax rate is 4.63%. Colorado’s unemployment rate was 3.3% in August 2016, dropping to 2.3% in April 2017. The July 2017 rate ticked up to 2.4%.
So that means that Colorado’s unemployment rate was already low when it had a higher state income tax than Illinois.
We should try to work in a bipartisan manner to help the state’s business climate as it pertains to manufacturing. The governor did to business reforms what he did to the budget, the state’s finances and healthcare costs for state employees. His radical governance blew opportunities to make incremental change.
- DuPage - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 1:13 pm:
@- Downstate - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:29 am:
===Illinois small business owners don’t feel real optimistic right now. They’ve begged for work comp. relief but are told that “we’ve already reformed the system, so we’re good”===
I thought the Democrats sent up a bill to open the books and regulate W/C rates, only to have it shot down by Rauner.
- Arizona Bob - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 1:15 pm:
IT appears that most of the new jobs in Illinois come from the service sector in conpanies that require very little infrastructure or investment. Things like job placement firms for the health industry. When things get too bad, they just close up the doors and move elsewhere. In Arizona, we’re growing bigtime with Apple, Amazon, etc. California, Washington and Oregon are killing the golden geese in droves, and we’re a safe haven for investment. I had two kids graduate from ASU this May in supply chain management and global logistics. Each searched for jobs in Chicago and Phoenix. Multiple better paying jobs with companies like Amazon in Phoenix, and some high growth start ups in logistics. Chicago? Low pay and little opportunity for this hot profession. Businesses hate uncertainty, and most know that the pols people elect in Illinois are willing to grab as much as they can until the whole thing comes crashing down without having their union, entitlement, and public worker constituency pay a price. There’ll be hell to pay in Illinois. It’s just a matter of “when”. NO one wants to be stuck there when the music stops…
- Anon - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 1:19 pm:
Businesses can do math quite well.
No matter who the governor is, the writing is on the wall that over the next 10-20 years massive tax increases are coming do to the structural budget problems the state faces with the pension obligations.
Why would any business expand in a state that they know is going to get increasingly expensive to conduct business in?
We just passed a big tax increase and the budget still doesn’t balance. We will be looking for increases probably in another 2 years or so.
Regulations aside (and Illinois is a horror show in this regard) the math alone tells businesses to stay away from Illinois because their businesses and employees will have to pay ever increasing taxes with no commiserate increase in services to pay off the pension sins of decades passed.
That is a terrible environment to put a business into, and the math doesn’t change no matter what party holds the governors seat.
- Sue - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 1:41 pm:
Right to work/ balanced budgets/pro business legislatures. Yea what a shock our neighbors are adding jobs while we shrink
- Ron - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 1:43 pm:
Illinois has gained 300 manufacturing jobs year over year. Our neighbors are blowing us away.
But all is great here, right?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 1:45 pm:
- Ron -
Explain all that with - Wordslinger -’s numbers.
No drive-by, explain it.
Thanks.
- Ron - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 1:45 pm:
Wisconsin has gained nearly 10,000 manufacturing jobs year over year.
- Ron - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 1:46 pm:
Willy, read:
https://www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/wisconsin.htm#eag
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 1:49 pm:
- Ron -
Where is - Wordslinger - wrong?
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 1:54 pm:
AZ Bob, growing “big time” with the manufacturing.
Let’s check AZ manufacturing jobs with BLS:
7/13 — 155,500
7/14 — 156,500
7/15 — 158,800
7/16 — 159,400
7/17 — 162,800
I make that 7,300 new manufacturing jobs in five years. Illinois just added 6,600 in six months.
For tne record, the high-water mark for manufacturing jobs in AZ was 183,900 in 2007, according to BLS.
Lot of big talk, Bobby Bigtime, but that’s about all.
- Ron - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 1:55 pm:
Illinois has gained 0.1% manufacturing jobs over the last year. Wisconsin has gained over 2%.
- Ron - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 2:30 pm:
“I make that 7,300 new manufacturing jobs in five years. Illinois just added 6,600 in six months”
Nice of you to not look at Illinois manufacturing jobs over the last five years.
Illinois has lost 11,000 since 2012.
- Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 2:34 pm:
Why isn’t growing high paying manufacturing jobs in Illinois a bipartisan concern?
Why are there so many defenders of the policies that have caused our unemployment rate to be tied for 11th highest in the nation and our manufacturing employment growth to lag our neighbors?
Wouldn’t we need less social services if our economy was stronger?
Speaker Madigan and Senator Fullerton both have said much work needs to be done to reform Illinois.
When are they going to start introducing legislation?
- Ron - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 2:36 pm:
How many people live in Illinois vs. Wisconsin? vs. Arizona? vs. Indiana? vs. Missouri?
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 2:46 pm:
Ron, that’s exactly my point about cherry picking. Thanks for listening.
The long-term trend for U.S, manufacturing has been and is fewer jobs due to globalization and technology advances. State politics has little to do with it.
The manufacturing jobs of the future will require more education and training to run the very expensive machines.
If low wages and RTW were the answers, Arkansas and Missisippi would be booming.
- walker - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 2:46 pm:
If everybody’s correct, just using different time frames, then Illinois lagged its neighbors last year big time, but is outperforming them this year.
More important is Wordslinger’s other true statement — very little of this is driven by state house policies.
- Blue dog dem - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 2:50 pm:
I know two things. 2000 steel workers sitting at home in Granite. May or may not be the states fault. Oreos arent made in Illinois. May or may not be the states fault. There. Settled that. Maybe. Or maybe not.
- Ron - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 3:02 pm:
Wow, the head in the sand crowd is completely blind to facts. Illinois is at the bottom of the barrel in job and economic growth.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 3:16 pm:
==It’s amazing driving from downstate IL into another state. The difference is night/day. IL downstate towns are trapped in the past, aging and rusted, while surrounding states continue to move forward with time. Kind of reminds me of satellite photos of North Korea at night or the 1950s cars in Cuba.==
You needed to have read this…
“PAXIL should be administered as a single daily dose with or without food, usually in the morning. The recommended initial dose is 20 mg/day. Patients were dosed in a range of 20 to 50 mg/day in the clinical trials demonstrating the effectiveness of PAXIL in the treatment of major depressive disorder. As with all drugs effective in the treatment of major depressive disorder, the full effect may be delayed. Some patients not responding to a 20-mg dose may benefit from dose increases, in 10-mg/day increments, up to a maximum of 50 mg/day. Dose changes should occur at intervals of at least 1 week.”
- Sue - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 3:31 pm:
Has anyone driven all the way down 65 into Indiana recently. The number of new manufacturing and other corporate facilities is staggering. Employment in Indiana is off the charts. It is all the result of pro-employer policies and the States solid fiscal status. So how is it possible for two states which sit right next to one another can be faring so differently. and let’s not forget Illinois has Chicago and OHare. It is so sad what we have allowed to be done to Illinois over the past 25 years
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 4:01 pm:
Let’s go back to the official end of the recession in 2009 and see how manufacturing job growth is in the midwest.
Illinois added 5,100
Indiana added 103,600
Wisconsin added 43,900
Michigan added 171,500
Iowa added 14,100
Missouri added 15,800
When you consider the significantly larger population in Illinois, the job numbers are abysmal.
- Archpundit - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 4:11 pm:
First, small towns in Illinois aren’t doing any worse than most of its neighbors. Rural areas everywhere are facing an exodus. It’s a systemic problem of it’s easier to recruit and find talent in bigger cities. That’s why Latino and Somali immigrants are moving in so many places.
I was just in an interview where a company from Iowa was recruiting for an office in MInneapolis because they cannot attract enough talent to a decent sized city in Iowa. This is happening a lot.
Even in areas with low unemployment in rural areas companies are thinking of moving because of the limited talent base and its hard to get people to move there. With a population becoming smaller and educated workers moving to larger areas it is killing manufacturing in those areas. You can say you saw different from the window of your car, but confirmation bias isn’t evidence.
I don’t have a solution, but I can tell you the formula fix helps by improving the pipeline of workers in those areas by providing better funding to rural school districts. Combine that with a decent community/technical college system in Illinois and those are two of the best elements of addressing it. Illinois is going to have to invest in those areas and that isn’t going to happen if rural lawmakers keep attacking Chicago as their problem.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 4:14 pm:
Anon, you forgot to say “Thanks Obama” for that auto bailout.
New vehicle sales in the U.S. set records in both 2015 and 2016. That drove a lot of callback for workers at assembly and parts plants in MI, IN and OH.
And “Thanks Consumers” for buying, They’re the true job creators.
Sales have now leveled off. That helps to explain the weak growth numbers this year in MI and IN.
- Blue dog dem - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 4:19 pm:
Word. Thanks QE1,2&3.
- Lulu - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 4:29 pm:
Lying with numbers is easy. Pick whatever starting point makes your case and go for it. If it makes you feel good you can do it all day long.
When your state is recognized as being the worst fiscal state in the nation for years on end, other numbers start to become less meaningful.
You can’t run from the truth. But you can manipulate the numbers to make yourself feel better about it.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 6:32 pm:
–Employment in Indiana is off the charts. It is all the result of pro-employer policies and the States solid fiscal status.–
Is it? Says who? Politicians?
– So how is it possible for two states which sit right next to one another can be faring so differently.–
I think you’re selling politician snake oil that has nothing to do with economic facts, but let’s take a look at the last 25 years or so of these two states that share the same geography and natural advantages.
Real GDP (2009 Chained Dollars), only available since 1997
IL 1997: $554B
IN 1997: $222B
IL 2016: $692B
IN 2016: $301B
# Employed:
IL 7/92: 5.57M
IN 7/92: 2.68M
IL 7/17 6.13M
IN 7/17: 3.22M
You’ll note that today’s booming Indiana still has less than half the GDP of Illinois — just like 20 years ago. And it has about half the jobs — just like 25 years ago.
No one but politicians and rating agencies talk about “state economies.” Rating agencies do it to determine how much in taxes will be collected to cover bonds. Politicians do it to promote themselves.
http://www.deptofnumbers.com/gdp/illinois/
http://www.deptofnumbers.com/gdp/indiana/
https://data.bls.gov/pdq/SurveyOutputServlet
https://data.bls.gov/pdq/SurveyOutputServlet
- Blue dog dem - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 7:49 pm:
Word. Stop while your ahead.
- Lulu - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 8:20 pm:
Actually he isn’t ahead. If you are comparing two points in time, you look at the percentage change, not the absolute change. Must be a product of CPS.
Indiana growing at a significantly faster rate. Ouch baby.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 8:23 pm:
–Indiana growing at a significantly faster rate. Ouch baby.–
LOL, tell me, Einstein, can you calculate the number of centuries it will take to Indiana to surpass Illinois in GDP and jobs at the current rate?
- Lulu - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 8:36 pm:
Don’t like it when someone throws it back. A little sensitive no.
Oh well, I’m sure I am banned now. Can’t have anyone interfering with the group think going on here.
No offense folks. Have a great life. You only get one.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 8:36 pm:
Lulu, I’ll give you another calculation:
How many centuries will it take Indiana to reach the employment and GDP levels that Illinois had 25 years ago?
One more: How many will it take Indiana to reach the 4.7M that were employed in Illinois in 1976?
Same geography, same natural advantages.
With all that whiz-bang pro-biz alchemy coming out of their statehouse, why are they so far behind?
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 8:37 pm:
No, Lulu, bring it on. No victims here.
Do your magic with the math.
- Blue dog dem - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 9:00 pm:
Word/Lulu. I will help. The magic number is 577.
- ArchPundit - Wednesday, Aug 30, 17 @ 10:11 pm:
====Rating agencies do it to determine how much in taxes will be collected to cover bonds. Politicians do it to promote themselves.
Which is also why Illinois has had as many chances as it has–it has the economy to support the taxes it needs to pay pensions, it’s only the political will that’s been missing.
- Sue - Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 5:04 am:
Word- your figuring all fails to account for population differences. Do the words per capita mean nothing to you. You are not much of an economist if all you do is compare gross numbers. But hey keep living in your own fiscal reality like your pals Madigan and his crew
- wordslinger - Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 8:49 am:
Gee, Sue, I’ve heard of all those things.
Population figures show more than twice as many people have chosen to live in Illinois than Indiana. That ratio has remained constant for decades.
Per capita GDP, according to BEA:
IL — $54,092
IN — $45,317
Avg. Manufacturing Worker’s Compensation, according to NAM:
IL - $84,138
IN - $73,765
Sue, all this information is readily available online. You just choose to lazily parrot self-promoting state politicians selling snake oil on how they can “grow the economy” and “create jobs.” What are your reasons for believing them?
Their real jobs are to maintain the foundation for the economy and private investment by providing for education, infrastructure, rule of law and public safety.