* Wirepoints…
Good news of sorts was recently released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Illinois led the country with the largest increase in manufacturing employment in July, up 6,300 workers.
In a state that’s been in the bottom ten nationally for economic growth and job creation since Gov. J.B. Pritzker took office in 2019, the new manufacturing jobs are certainly good news for Illinoisans looking for work.
But context matters and a look at Illinois’ manufacturing employment over the last two decades is sobering at best. That’s also true for the last three years under Gov. Pritzker, where manufacturing continues to sputter.
Even with the 6,300 increase, Illinois is still down almost 300,000 manufacturing jobs since 2000.
And it goes on.
* From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics…
Two million [manufacturing] jobs were lost [nationally] between 1980 and 2000 and 5.5 million [manufacturing] jobs were lost between 2000 and 2017.
Huge increases in productivity, trade imbalances, a “skills mismatch,” changes in migration patterns, etc. are all blamed for the loss. Yes, Illinois can do much better. And it appears to be doing better.
* This wasn’t a one-month thing, either. Illinois’ year-over-year was pretty darned strong, too. From the National Association of Manufacturers’ chief economist…
Texas has more than twice Illinois’ population. Michigan is a bit smaller than Illinois.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 9:08 am:
===But context matters===
“Here’s our alternative facts so we can ignore the good going on in Illinois and grift your money…”
They are shamefully dishonest to the money they can grift.
Pathetic.
- Commissar Gritty - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 9:37 am:
Texas: Come for the manufacturing jobs, stay because our theocracy won’t let you leave.
- BTO2 - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 9:44 am:
Not huge but so much better than we had been trending. I’m sure some folks will post something negative, I’ll take another bit of positive news about Illinois.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 9:49 am:
It must have devastated Dombrowski to write this article.
- Local Gal - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 9:50 am:
But no one needs reliable electricity in TX, amirite?
- Jocko - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 10:10 am:
==But no one needs reliable electricity in TX, amirite?==
or decent roads and a functioning drainage system. Dallas and Houston turn into Venice after a heavy storm.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 10:10 am:
Wirepoints the same people that cheered on the budget impasse and 16 billion in unpaid bills. Not the most credible people around.
- City Zen - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 10:12 am:
The states with the largest manufacturing employment declines 2020-2021 are now recovering. That’s a good thing.
https://twitter.com/chadmoutray/status/1486006808766566407
- Nearly Normal - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 10:17 am:
I think Debby Downer, the character Rachel Dratch made famous on Saturday Night Live, must be an editor of Wirepoints. Nothing positive is allowed without a negative spin added. I can almost hear the downer whah-whah at the end of the article.
- Nearly Normal - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 10:21 am:
Debbie Downer classic reminds me of Wirepoints and their negative slant on anything that is positive about this administration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfE93xON8jk
- Chicago Cynic - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 10:36 am:
Classic. It’s only 100% predictable that when there is a Democratic governor they will find some stat to put the worst spin possible. Center Square Whiney does the same thing. Today’s story on this has a headline about how Illinois still lags the national unemployment rate. Thanks for being predictable, Grifters.
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 10:51 am:
Good, more spelunker talking points are rendered meaningless and needless. The downers are having a terrible year, with improvements under Democrats, which is their biggest fear.
- Strategy Geek - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 10:51 am:
Wirepoints gives dark-money-funded fringe laughingstocks a bad name.
- Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 10:54 am:
What is the worst spin possible?
Cherry-picking one industry that has a much needed uptick or pointing out the big picture.
In the next month or so economists believe all the jobs lost during the pandemic will be restored.
Illinois is still an outlier
Only 2 or 3 states have higher unemployment and we have yet to recover 117,000 jobs lost during the pandemic.
https://www.rand.org/blog/2022/07/recovered-but-not-whole-us-jobs-rebounded.html
- Merica - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 10:57 am:
it’s time for the state to replenish its decrepit auto fleet with some efficient and reliable Rivian vehicles
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 11:08 am:
- Lucky Pierre -
If all you say is true, I’ll expect your support of Darren Bailey, the only choice other than Pritzker, will reach its zenith in the coming weeks.
Why you live in a state where you have yet to show any warmth or positivity is as puzzling as your “name”, when looked at its meaning is even more confusing than your bot talking points.
Like Wirepoints, and to connect this to the post, are you also a grifter of the “bad”, because frankly, anyone living so miserably in a state where all your heroes have left, I hope your are grifting or it’s terribly sad reading you let this negative without any positive.
Your candidate must be Bailey, as your lacking any positives with Pritzker, one can’t see you supporting Pritzker over Bailey.
If you’d like to give a positive thought towards Illinois business, governing or education systems, it would be a swell change
- Chicago Cynic - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 11:36 am:
LP,
Three things.
1. the article you posted is from June. With the 538,000 jobs added in July, we’ve already passed the total jobs lost.
2. Several other states also have 4.4% unemployment including New York and Pennsylvania and Michigan are within one or two tenths of a point. In other words, states with similar issues often have similar unemployment rates.
3. You didn’t post a source link to state unemployment rates. Here it is.
https://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/state-unemployment-update.aspx
- MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 11:36 am:
“a look at Illinois’ manufacturing employment over the last two decades is sobering at best.”
And why didn’t that doggone JB Pritzker make up for that 20 years of failure in the last three-and-a-half years??
– MrJM
- H-W - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 11:36 am:
@ Lucky
First, Manufacturing is not an industry. It is a sector of the economy.
Second, it is not “cherry-picking” to focus on manufacturing. Economists of every persuasion forever have always followed manufacturing trends since this sector in particular drives our economy.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 11:39 am:
LP
The headline of this post describe you exactly.
“Good news is always, always, always somehow bad”
Pathetic.
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 12:50 pm:
The name of the game is improvement. That’s what we’re doing in Illinois, financially and economically. Now we have an added potential bonus: protecting women’s rights while Republican states strip rights, making us more attractive.
We have new infrastructure and climate laws that have tremendous potential to help Illinois, on top of our improvements. Democrats were indispensable to all of them, and provided the most votes. The doomsayers are just going to keep doomsaying. Republicans are going to keep scaring their base. Democrats have a lot to run on and ask for another term.
- Thomas Paine - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 1:48 pm:
Republicans are, by my count, on their sixth losing campaign message now.
Lockdowns
Masks
Crime
Gas prices
Inflation
Jobs
- Commonsense in Illinois - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 2:33 pm:
A couple of observations need to be made here:
1. Illinois historically is among the first states into recession and among the last to emerge. Since manufacturing is the largest single sector contributor to state GDP, good indicators of approaching a recession is a decrease in orders after a buildup of supply on hand. During a recession, orders are down as customers go through inventory. An indicator of the start of economic expansion is when orders (particularly for durable goods) begins to increase month over month.
2. One of the challenges, not just for manufacturing, but for all economic sectors, is a reduction in the overall available labor force. More than 34,000 people between the ages of 20 and 69 died as a result of COVID-19, and around 100,000 women have not yet returned to the workforce. That adds pressure to hiring as there aren’t enough workers to fill every available job.
Just a couple of points to ponder.
- Big Dipper - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 6:05 pm:
If Pritzker cured cancer, LP would ask, “but what about all the oncologists who are now out of work?”
- New Day - Tuesday, Aug 23, 22 @ 7:25 pm:
“If Pritzker cured cancer, LP would ask, “but what about all the oncologists who are now out of work?”
Too funny and too true.