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Manufacturing loses big… again

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Illinois

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate in August decreased -0.3 percentage points to 5.5 percent and nonfarm payrolls decreased, based on preliminary data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and IDES. The decrease in Illinois’ unemployment rate is largely due to a decline in the labor force. Job growth is still below the national average, with Illinois -46,400 jobs short of its peak employment level reached in September 2000.

“In this 30-day snapshot, manufacturing losses were heavy, which contributed to more than half of the month’s decrease in nonfarm payroll jobs,” said IDES Director Jeff Mays. “The surveys have shown a great deal of fluctuation over the past year; seeing how the numbers develop over the long-term should make the trend clear.”

“Illinois residents continue to drop out of the workforce at a concerning rate, driven out by the steady loss of jobs and anemic growth,” DCEO Acting Director Sean McCarthy said. “If our state enacted the structural reforms necessary to get Illinois growing at the national rate, we could create 200 new jobs every day and put Illinois back to work. Instead, the state lost 8,200 jobs and nearly 20,000 people gave up looking for work.”

In August, the two industry sectors with the largest gains in employment were: Leisure and Hospitality (+3,400); and Professional and Business Services (+2,000). The three industry sectors with the largest declines in employment were: Manufacturing (-4,400); Financial Activities (-2,600); and Education and Health Services (-1,900).

Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased by +40,100 jobs with the largest gains in Leisure and Hospitality (+23,000); and Professional and Business Services (+17,000). Industry sectors with the largest over-the-year declines in August include: Manufacturing (-11,800) and Information Services (-3,600). The +0.7 percent over-the-year gain in Illinois is less than the +1.7 percent gain posted by the nation in August.

To put this into perspective, those 4,400 manufacturing jobs lost in just one month almost equals the 4,600 new manufacturing jobs created in Illinois over the last seven years.

Sheesh.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 1:22 pm

Comments

“If our state enacted the structural reforms necessary to get Illinois growing at the national rate, we could create 200 new jobs every day and put Illinois back to work.

If our Governor explained how those reforms would actually achieve the results, then maybe they would get enacted.

Please do your job and stop being a bystander/victim.

Comment by Henry Francis Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 1:28 pm
We could have passed a budget with some workers comp reform and a property tax freeze, and perhaps other reforms. We were stopped by a governor who is repulsed by the current partisan landscape and won’t do anything big until it changes enough for him to get his way.

Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 1:31 pm
Let’s just increase taxes and put people on the public payroll.

Comment by Not It Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 1:37 pm
Meanwhile, in Texas….over 1,000 people move to the state every day…..

Comment by Doug Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 1:38 pm
===Let’s just increase taxes and put people on the public payroll.===

Who said that, you?

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 1:39 pm
This is all fallout from the continuing instability in Springfield. Why would you want to invest in a future in Illinois when Illinois can’t invest in its own future, especially if you have the opportunity to get out?

The economy is strong most everywhere else in the country, but Illinois still seems to be mired in recession.

It’s the budget.

Comment by jerry 101 Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 1:40 pm
This is exactly why we need to continue doing things the exact same way and just raise taxes.

Comment by Ahoy! Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 1:47 pm
==This is exactly why we need to continue doing things the exact same way and just raise taxes.==

The victims strike again. Ugh.

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 1:53 pm
Idaho!?!?!

Comment by Blago's Hare Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 1:56 pm
–we could create 200 new jobs every day–

This is shear unproven conjecture. It’s campaign rhetoric. I would suggest that acting director Mccarthy focus his attention on bringing in more companies to Illinois. His Department has only a single person for a region dedicated to regional economic development. One person per region is nothing. There are more board directors at Intersect Illinois than there are regional economic staff. It’s hard to make rain with only a handful of dancers.

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 1:57 pm
==If our state enacted the structural reforms necessary to get Illinois growing at the national rate, we could create 200 new jobs every day==

That’s great. But I’d like to see some data that gets you to that 200 number.

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 1:57 pm
Oswego Willy - I was being snarky. It was a reference to the Speaker’s commitment to protect middle class jobs, which is really just protecting government union jobs.

Comment by Not It Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 1:58 pm
I would check out the bureau of labor statistics (BLS) to get a better spin on this announcement. The time series data on manufacturing job number fluctuations tell a different story than that reported by IDES. We only had 553,000 manufacturing jobs in 2010. So, we are still ahead of that figure. Job losses are never good, but state agency representatives might want to portray a more objective stance, rather than so obviously being shills for the Governor — but of course, maybe that is their job.

http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/SMS17000003000000001?data_tool=XGtable

Comment by Scamp640 Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:03 pm
Diminishing wages and benefits for public sector workers through elimination of collective bargaining, Mr Rauner’s obsession and clear top priority, does virtually nothing to address this problem. OTOH, addressing instability to include the proposal and passage of a budget, something Mr Rauner refuses to do despite his constitutional obligation to do so, would help. He could probably find compromise in areas such as worker comp causation if he chose to do so.

Comment by kitty Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:06 pm
Ford is moving all small car production to Mexico.
Carrier is moving production from Indiana to Mexico.

If you want good paying middle-class jobs in the US we need to repeal NAFTA and vote against the TPP.

Comment by Chicago 20 Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:09 pm
–Meanwhile, in Texas….over 1,000 people move to the state every day…..–

who cares? Like that has to do with anything.

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:12 pm
What structural reforms can Illinois pass that would affect the global commodities market and stop the restructuring at one of the largest state employees, Caterpillar?

Comment by ANon Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:14 pm
The speaker at every press conference about the budget mentions the fact party that he and his party are looking out for middle class workers.

The silence is deafening about the decimation of our manufacturing sector and the higher wage jobs that go with it, frequently just across state lines. Senator Cullerton openly mocks those concerned about our business environment as being unaware we reformed workers comp in 2011.

It also looks Illinois manufacturers didn’t get the memo that Springfield fixed all their problems too.

Comment by Lucky Pierre Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:16 pm
Too sad but don’t worry Madigan and the SEIU know how to fix things.

Comment by Sue Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:17 pm
==Meanwhile, in Texas…who cares? Like that has to do with anything.==

I suppose we could say that every time Minnesota comes up as well.

Comment by City Zen Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:22 pm
I’d also like to point out that I think Baise and his organization seem to be feckless to stop the onslaught of manufacturing. What is he doing to arrest the decline. I see him proclaiming and bemoaning the decline. What is he doing otherwise. Maybe he should be pressuring DCEO to staff up with more economic development staff? Sure, I get that this comment may be below the belt at the same time. I never hear him talk about the programs he does have or programs that he wishes he had besides the destruction of labor and lower workers comp costs (which I would rather he address to the insurance industry who hiked their rates despite getting “reforms” only a few years ago)

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:23 pm
Well played City Zen, well played.

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:23 pm
Oswego - that was a (not well executed) reference to Madigan’s pledge to protect middle class jobs and raising the state’s income tax would be a good place to start so as to afford more government union labor.

Comment by Not It Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:26 pm
And we are certain Mays meant to us that there is no likelihood (zip zero nada) that CAT overpaying for unneeded capacity and now dumping workforce to help with the balance sheet has nothin’ to do with this issue. NOTHING.

Comment by Annonin' Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:27 pm
Indiana is cleaning our clock; they have been adding jobs while Illinois continues to lose them. The Dems and Public Sector Unions will blame it on financial instability and the need for higher taxes or try to blame it on who didn’t fund the public pension over the last 20 years. I am no economist but a quick look at BLS data shows a strong correlation between job add’s and right to work. Look at IN, TX and ND and GA for recent monthly data.

Comment by Lech W Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:29 pm
There has been no evidence offered by the Administration that shows that their reforms will create more jobs. Given their track record, is it wise to take them at their word? We need to make some changes for sure but lets make sure we make changes that achieve the desired results. As someone mentioned we could have had some workman’s comp reform but with the Governor there were strings attached. I wish we could go back in time to January 2015 and let the Governor start over because he’s done a lot more harm than good. As former Governor’s Edgar and Thompson said, going in, you know that in order to accomplish anything you know that there are people (Democrats) that you will need cooperation from. Why declare war on them from day one? How has that worked out?

Comment by The Dude Abides Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:32 pm
USDA SNAP (food stamp) caseloads in Illinois jumped a whopping 4.1% in the latest report. What’s up with that?

http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/pd/29SNAPcurrPP.pdf

Comment by anon Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:35 pm
===we need to repeal NAFTA===

That’s so bogus. NAFTA doesn’t facilitate job exports. It manages it.

Those jobs were already leaving. NAFTA knocked down some very high Mexican tariffs and made sure American workers got help if they lost their jobs to Mexico. Unless you “build an impenetrable wall,” you can’t stop companies from offshoring jobs. You can make it more costly to do so, but that has nothing to do with NAFTA.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:35 pm
What pro-business activity has this state taken in the last 10 years that would encourage someone to build or expand in this state?

Comment by Downstate Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:39 pm
–USDA SNAP (food stamp) caseloads in Illinois jumped a whopping 4.1% in the latest report. What’s up with that?–

Bingo- it’s getting worse in places. Economic recovery is mimicking income inequality the higher you are on the scale the better it’s getting for you. Down here in East St. Louis it gets worse every day. And now thanks to Rauner destroying the private social service agencies, we have very little way to respond. The Feds pay 100% of food stamps. That’s why it’s going up. It’s one of the few remaining programs that help. To misquote Ross Perot, you can literally hear the “giant sucking sound” from the Metro East trying to suck life sustaining resources from across the river in St. Louis. At some point it will be too much and we’ll get cut off.

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:42 pm
Downstate- I’d say Enterprise Zones have been a great move. Check it out.

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:46 pm
Scamp640, we only 553,000 manufacturing jobs in 2010 because that was the DEAD BOTTOM of the Great Recession. In other words, Illinois has seen almost zero manufacturing jobs growth since getting whacked in the recession.

Show me any other state that lost 100,000 manufacturing jobs in the recession and then gained close to nothing in the 7 years after it.

Comment by Pepper Brooks Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:47 pm
All you need to do is look next door to IN. Here’s an article that came out yesterday on their continuing growth in manufacturing. IL is a little league team trying to play in the bigs.

http://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/indiana-manufacturing-surpasses-billion-mark/article_a25bb447-68e8-5c3c-8239-b9a6bf75d2c5.html

Comment by Site Selector Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:49 pm
One of my co-workers met with a Central IL manufacturing firm this afternoon to show them a building. They liked the building but seem to be leaning toward moving all operations to SC. When they leave another 120 jobs will be lost forever.

Comment by Site Selector Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:52 pm
Honeybear,
Great point.

Our big problem is overcoming our reputation as:
1. Being the judicial hellhole of the US
2. Having unsustainable pension obligations
3. Having some of the highest work comp. rates in the nation.

The bigger problem is once you get an anti-business reputation, you’ll spend decades trying to overcome that……just ask Decatur.

Comment by Downstate Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:58 pm
locally the use of TIF districts can be an pro-business economic stimulus. Not so from Springfield - just more proposals to expand prevailing wage (SB 2536, sb2964)

Comment by Lech W Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 3:00 pm
@Lucky Pierre 2:16 ===The silence is deafening about the decimation of our manufacturing sector and the higher wage jobs that go with it, frequently just across state lines.

More frequently to China and Mexico.

Comment by DuPage Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 3:04 pm
Downstate- all net with that one. Which is why it’s even more important that Rauner, Baise, and DCEO accentuate the positive as the song says. Get out there and sell the state. We do have really strong selling points. But it’s never actually been about this has it? It’s been about setting up privatization, destroying labor and smashing democrats.

More than ever I know that Rauner has never been about “business”.

It’s about profit. Privatization profit

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 3:05 pm
wonder how much of this has been driven by the moves currently under way at Cat, they have been cutting a lot all over the country lately. The big bet on commodities extraction isn’t working out.

Comment by OneMan Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 3:08 pm
Here is my problem… DCEO head says we need “structural reforms” for growth.

couple of points… first, what reforms? is this the lower taxes, elminate unions and construction wages reform? if so, Minnesota has had manufacturing growth of 3.7% and they raised taxes, raies the min wage and kept their unions. so find actual solutions not the antiunion craps that has nothing to do with anything.

second, the guy whose job it is to make economic growth happen is just whinning anout the need for reform…. who hited this guy? go get a cheerleader who will sing our praises and aggressively pursue new companies. we done need whiners in the jons that should be pushing our state… again what company talks anout how crapy they are and waits for somone else to fix it. work with what yah got, pull on the big boy pants and sell the state. MI is growing with lots of unions and a bankrupt major city, but you cant do anything for il???

Comment by Ghost Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 3:09 pm
The bulk of the jobs in Illinois are generated by small business owners. The challenges of this state hit those “job generators” the hardest.
And yet, there are those on this board, that want to characterize all business as “smashing” and “destroying”.

As a small business owner, I’ve been begging for Work Comp relief for 20 years. Nothing, I repeat, nothing has been done.

But we have been hit with greater regulation, more governmental oversight and a scary pension deficit that someone will eventually have to pay.

It’s like living in an apartment building that’s badly in need of repair. At some point, if, as a renter, you can see that the building is mortgaged to the hilt; the landlord is abusive; and your neighbors keep saying it’s all your fault - you start looking for other places to live.

Comment by Downstate Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 3:14 pm
Honeybear, are you by chance familiar with the Dunning Kruger effect?

Comment by Thunder Fred Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 3:20 pm
Our snap usage is up and our manufacturing employment is down. Indianas manufacturing jobs pay $72,000 a year compared to $48,000 in other sectors.

Many of our politicians are involved in the fight for $15 minimum wage ($30,000) They don’t seem nearly as concerned about the $72,000 dollar jobs we are losing to Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Iowa and Missouri.

The fact they don’t propose their own version of a Turnaround agenda - one that deals in moderation and is not extreme is completely ridiculous at this point.

Comment by Lucky Pierre Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 3:37 pm
Site Selector @2:49 “IL is a little league team trying to play in the bigs”

You do realize that manufacturing output is actually slightly higher in Illinois than in Indiana, right?

Comment by Juice Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 3:39 pm
Hey Honeybear- when are you and your like minded friends ever going to figure out that it is the private sector which generates the tax revenue to pay for the public sector- at some point the whole system which permits us to pay for public sector employees will turn upside down and then you are essentially Detroit

Comment by Sue Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 3:44 pm
Downstate: Right on the mark with you post. Great analogy of apartment building. Too many Illinois residents have see the writing on the wall and are leaving Dodge, moving to lower taxed, more economically viable states.

Comment by Site Selector Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 3:47 pm
- Honeybear - Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 2:12 pm:

–Meanwhile, in Texas….over 1,000 people move to the state every day…..–

–who cares? Like that has to do with anything.

It has everything to do with everything. While Illinois goes into the toilet, states such as Texas with low taxes and business friendly regulations draw businesses, jobs and capital….

Where do you think those 1,000 people are coming from? States like California and Illinois.

Comment by Doug Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 3:48 pm
@Honeybear….

You can hire all the DCEO field staff that you want but if you don’t have a product to sell.

The Rauner Administration needs to reverse their unilateral action to not apply EDGE to “retained” jobs. Illinois has little, if any, tools to keep companies in Illinois. Oh, and by the way, EDGE expires at the end of this year so that will be gone.

R & D credit is gone.
Manufacturers Purchase Credit is gone.
Incentive to put printing equipment in Illinois is gone.

Baise and the IMA are fighting and led the effort to extend enterprise zone and fracking (thanks to Pat Quinn for the 3-year delay). But they’re playing whack-a-mole. Trying to stop taxes, mandates, etc before any offense can occur.

Comment by 4 percent Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 3:54 pm
Was the comment about more government jobs snark? I sure hope so

Comment by Ron Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 4:00 pm
I don’t want to down play the loss of manufacturing jobs. But, is it possible that Illinois is simply moving into a post-industrial economy? Earlier today Rich posted statistics that show despite the manufacturing job loss, Illinois median income is up and the gains have been greater than Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and other mid-western states. Of the states Rich mentioned, only New York and California have a higher median income.

We are also doing better in poverty rates than our mid-western neighbors–Ours is 13.6%, which is lower than Indiana, Missouri, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and . . .Idaho!

Comment by G'Kar Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 4:01 pm
“If our Governor explained how those reforms would actually achieve the results, then maybe they would get enacted. ”

I’mna get real on you for a second.

I’m an economic developer for a living. Prospect companies routinely tell me that:

1. Workers comp costs are 2:1 more expensive in Illinois vs. our neighbors.

2. Property taxes in Illinois range from 2x to 4x as high as our neighboring states.

3. Illinois has no refundable income tax credit incentive program. Every single state neighboring Illinois has one.

4. Our state’s Enterprise Zone program is nice, but insufficient to bridge the cost gap between Illinois and other states for building a new project.

5. Dealing with DCEO’s bureaucracy is a complete and utter nightmare.

Prospect companies tell me all of these things, and then they eliminate Illinois as a location for their project. They simply walk out the door. Lots of them end up in Indiana.

Economic developers have been reporting what our prospect companies are saying to the State of Illinois for years now. Nothing has changed. A lot of the old guard in my profession have gotten tired of dealing with this and have left Illinois in order to ply their trade in other states where the odds of success are higher.

The turnaround agenda, regardless of its political feasibility, at least matches what companies have been telling us economic developers and site selectors for years.

Comment by sulla Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 4:18 pm
Juice, you do realize Illinois has almost twice the population of Indiana right? 12.8 million to 6.6 million.

Comment by Lucky Pierre Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 4:30 pm
Sulla,
Your post should be required reading for every state politician. If they still feel that Illinois is fine, and only needs to “market themselves better”. They should be forced to read your post again……and then maybe take Econ 101.

Comment by Downstate Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 4:42 pm
sulla:

Thanks for your post.

My issue with #1 was that Workers Comp was addressed (at least somewhat) a few years ago. I want to know why what was done didn’t work. I’d like to know why what was done did not result in lower costs. I think there can be some agreement on #1 from all sides.

#2 is an issue because if you lower property taxes you have to replace them with something else. You can’t cut a major revenue stream for schools without the state picking up more costs. And that will result in higher state taxes. So my question for you is, will your prospects accept the trade off of higher income taxes for lower property taxes.

#3, 4 and 5 aren’t part of the turnaround agenda. Maybe you should suggest they be.

Again, thanks for the post. No snark.

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 4:50 pm
Longing for a rebound in manufacturing jobs is just nostalgia.

Manufacturing jobs were 22% of US non-farm payroll in 1972. It is about 9% today.

Cambodia is now concerned about losing textile and apparel jobs to automation.

The jobs of the future are not the jobs of the past. This hunger for manufacturing jobs just distracts us from the hard work of preparing people for the modern economy.

Comment by Fred Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 4:58 pm
@ Pepper Brooks. You asked me to find a state that lost over 100,000 manufacturing jobs in the great recession and then showed very little job growth since that time. Here you go — Pennsylvania:

http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/SMS42000003000000001?data_tool=XGtable

Comment by Scamp640 Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 5:00 pm
Sulla: your post was a bullseye! Unless our politicians start listening to professionals like you, all is lost. Turn out the lights

Comment by Site selector Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 5:37 pm
Enough with the structural reforms… States are fighting over the scaps… The last dying gasp of manufacturing JOBS… Even if we give massive subsidies manufacturers will take the money and spend it on automation. Let Indiana or Mississippi give away their tax revenue to further eliminate jobs. There is no solution under our economic system. It’s time to wake up!

Comment by Triple fat Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 5:50 pm
Rumor has it CAT had another round of lay-offs today. Details aren’t released, yet.

Comment by Nothin's easy... Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 6:33 pm
CAT has built dozens of new plants in the USA in the last decade, but none in Illinois. Could it be because it didnt make sense to do so?

Comment by Site Selectoe Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 6:58 pm
PBS Newshour had a good segment tonight on the future size of manufacturing

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0WrbUlgjRY

Comment by Anon221 Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 7:13 pm
–Juice, you do realize Illinois has almost twice the population of Indiana right? 12.8 million to 6.6 million. –

Pierre, Good point.

Same geographic location, same lake access, same topsoil…

So why does Illinois have almost twice the population and more than twice the GDP of Indiana?

Because…. Madigan?

Or is that just too simple-minded for big-kid discussions?

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 8:38 pm
No surprise here. 1 out of every 4 tax dollars goes to pensions, doesn’t matter at this point how we got here, those are the numbers today. We have a half-baked budget with nothing but more political battles on the horizon. The AFSCME contract is still in limbo and will most likely drag out forever. Chicago has more homicides than NY and LA together (population over 12 million combined). CTU threatens to strike every other day. Weather and scenery are nothing to showcase. Tradition of governors winding up in jail is a national punchline. Property taxes are through the roof because of way too many school districts. Yep, sounds like the kind of place people and businesses want to call home.

Comment by Hugo Stiglitz Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 8:45 pm
Rich@2:35. That B.S. NAFTA is a crap trade agreement. Regulating U.S. manufacturing with brutal EPA,OSHA,DOT requirements, while not mandating equal conditions on goods produced in Mexico is not right. You might as well put a 2000% tax on American made goods. And its Ok to put those goods on a tractor trailer ,waive all those regulations on the trucks and their drivers and drive them right into Chicago. Let them make Oreos in Mexico for $1.75/he. I can’t believe yoe went there. Sorry.

Comment by blue dog dem Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 10:12 pm
=== Regulating U.S. manufacturing with brutal EPA,OSHA,DOT requirements, while not mandating equal conditions on goods produced in Mexico is not right===

And without NAFTA, those same US regs would be in place.

Next?

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 12:08 am
These manufacturing jobs on the average don’t pay wages that can support 1 person let alone a family.

Focusing on these jobs without acknowledging the effects of NAFTA , the loss of these jobs and wage regression is having a disingenuous discussion.

Comment by Chicago 20 Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 5:36 am
In true Illinois political sleight of hand & obfuscation our inept leaders have us fighting among ourselves for the discards of their fiscal FAILURE. Madigan has overstayed his welcome. At any Private industry he and the vast majority of entrenched Springfield cronies would have been sacked years ago for FAILING to grow the state of Illinois. Quit bickering with the last person to write a comment and get focused on firing the incompetent slugs that have gotten us into this position.

Comment by Tiredofit Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 7:52 am
When I dig through the actual data and it can be opaque…the biggest job losses were because of pntr with China not really any of the other trade actions. Most of the rest of our trade is with other developed markets. Mexico is mostly auto. I matched up trade with county business problems. Outmoded products like commercial printing are another problem.Also most phone production looks like China but they assemble but most parts come from developed economies. I would go along with 1 to 2 million list from badtade deals since 2000..and 1 to 2 each from outmoded products and automation.

Comment by illinois manufacturer Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 9:21 am