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Looking on the dark side

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The latest data shows the number of unemployed Illinois residents is at its lowest since September of 2007.

But officials with Governor Bruce Rauner’s administration say Illinois is still lagging when it comes to job growth.

Illinois Department of Employment Security spokesman Bob Gough says the state has nearly 40 thousand fewer jobs than peak employment, in pre-recession fall 2011.

“When you look at the dichotomy we have in Illinois, the Chicago metro, say, is doing better than downstate Illinois. But even that growth is anemic when you compare it to other major metros,” Gough said Thursday.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 9:56 am

Comments

We need massive Infrastructure investment at the national level, which would be the number #1 creator of Rural Jobs, bar none.

Comment by PublicServant Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:00 am
The lowest in NINE years.

Nine.

And still Rauner, as a governor won’t take “credit” and must have his turnaround agenda to lower wages and diminish/end collective bargaining.

It’s the Turnaround Agenda wants. If “good news” makes those wants “less”, diminish the facts.

It’s not about Governor or governing. Those rules don’t apply.

It’s agenda, first, last, always.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:00 am
Let me guess, the turnaround Agenda would fix this? Can I see some analysis to demonstrate that?

Comment by illini97 Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:01 am
Massive infrastructure spending in rural areas is a waste of resources. Spend money where people live.

Comment by Ron Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:08 am
Chicago metro has never had a higher number of jobs, ever. Even as manufacturing jobs implode.

Comment by Ron Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:09 am
Lotta miles of Interstate and Bridges in rural areas Ron, or don’t you drive anywhere?

Comment by PublicServant Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:12 am
Does Rauner think he is still campaignin’ against Gov Quinn?

You’ve had the job for almost 2 years now. This is on your watch. These are your numbers.

For a guy who likes to buy, he sure doesn’t like to own.

Comment by Henry Francis Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:12 am
Since Rauner’s not taking credit for this — or touting this with a selfie of him with a pancake in a downstate diner — is it safe to assume that Rauner had absolutely nothing to do with this?

That this growth — which is, without a doubt, good news — came about *despite* Rauner’s attempt to fracture the state by drawing a wedge between social services and labor?

If that’s the case — then what — after two years — has Rauner actually done? What has he done?

Comment by Bobby Catalpa Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:13 am
==The latest data shows the number of unemployed Illinois residents is at its lowest since September of 2007.==

Yeah, but think about how much lower unemployment would be if we had term limits and drew district boundaries differently. /s

Comment by Fusion Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:13 am
All of this with one of the lowest income tax rates in the country. Where is all the growth that comes from low income taxes?

Comment by Obamas Puppy Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:15 am
===Where is all the growth that comes from low income taxes?===

Rauner and his buddies wallets. /s

Comment by PublicServant Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:15 am
This formerly unemployed Illinoisan moved to another state for… a job! That took me off the state’s unemployment roster. Illinois is losing people in droves… I wonder how many are moving away for jobs, and how this affects the unemployment statistics.

Comment by GlimmerGirl Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:17 am
Good news just doesn’t spin well. Rauner and Co. are not as blatant as Trump in the doom and gloom department, but their work to date on moving goalposts has had some damaging effects (bond ratings/sales come to mind). Leverage… it’s all about the leverage, which leads (they hope) to doubt and dismay.

Comment by Anon221 Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:19 am
Obama’s Puppy, Illinois has the fifth highest state and local tax burden in the country.

Comment by Ron Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:19 am
Lowest since 2007?

I guess we’re back to the glory years when the policies of Blago, Madigan and Emil Jones had the Illinois economy booming.

Because the economy is controlled from Springfield, right? That’s what the governor keeps telling us.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:20 am
GlimmerGirl, sorry to hear you had to leave in order to find a job. Not surprising though, Illinois is losing population faster than any state but West Virginia.

Comment by Ron Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:22 am
Oh - Ron -, lol…

Illinois is 23rd in taxes… in businesses.

http://ow.ly/o1CX305pm98

Wonder if they has anything to do with businesses and jobs?

Please, keep up with the topic of business and jobs. Thanks.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:27 am
Classic head in the sand syndrome. Illinois residents have the fifth highest state and local tax burden in the nation. Illinois is losing residents faster than any state but West Virginia. Illinois has yet to recover all the jobs it has lost since 2000, while the nation passed peak jobs years ago.

Comment by Ron Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:32 am
===Classic head in the sand syndrome.===

Nah. That’s a really swell try.

* 23rd in business tax burden, businesses create jobs.

* Lowest unemployment in NINE years, still a Governor won’t own.

Why?

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:35 am
That’s quite the shiny dog whistle you’ve got there Ron.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:42 am
Lowest unemployment rate as people leave the workforce. The Illinois workforce is smaller than it was nine years ago. And we still have less jobs than 2000. The nation is well past peak employment.

Keep up.

Try to keep up.

Comment by Ron Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:43 am
I see Michelle can add a lot to the discussion of economic facts.

Comment by Ron Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:44 am
Ron, just wondering, do you want the General Assembly and Rauner deciding local taxes? You want to give the House, Senate and Gov’s office veto authority on all local property tax decisions?
Should we dramatically expand the size and scope of the IL Dept of Revenue and have state auditors review and sign off on all local taxation decisions?

Local taxes are … local taxes. Controlled by locally elected officials.

Now if we’re debating fruit salad, fine, but otherwise keep your oranges out of my apples.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:46 am
- Ron -

Unemployment is the lowest in nine years. The tax burden on businesses is 23rd in the country

It’s measured.

Your continual “5th highest” and the apples/oranges “baloney” and dismissing what’s in front of you probably means you’re agenda driven, not factually enticed to have an opinion.

But you already know that.

A governor owns the lowest unemployment in 9 years. That’s what governors do. They build on it for messaging to tout an… agenda.

Dismissing this speaks loudly… Rauner just wants what he wants. Being “governor”, is actually a role, with costumes, for an agenda.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:50 am
Ron,
Click here: https://capitolfax.com/2016/06/03/to-the-numbers/

Comment by Fusion Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:50 am
Michelle, we have either the highest or second highest real estate taxes in the country depending on which study you read. And that is on top of relatively affordable real estate. It is driving people and businesses out of state.

Comment by Ron Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:54 am
Fusion, not sure he point of that. It just shows how terribly run out state has been run. At least we have a very highly compensated public workforce. Right?

Comment by Ron Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 10:56 am
Ron, the state of Illinois does not levy nor collect a real estate tax. That is a local tax. Take it up with your school board, which usually controls the largest share.

I’ll agree with you that our property taxes are high. But if the state’s to blame for that, it’s because the state taxes are low and so the locals have gone high to maintain what local voters support.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 11:02 am
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/789484383933718528

But officials with Governor Bruce Rauner’s administration say Illinois’s pumpkins are still lagging when it comes to growth.

Illinois Department of Pumpkins spokesman Bob Van Gogh says the state has nearly 40 thousand fewer pumpkins than the peak pumpkin harvest, in fall 2011.

“When you look at the dichotomy we have in Illinois, downstate Illinois, say, is doing better than the Chicago metro area. But even that growth in pumpkin harvesting is anemic when you compare it to other major agricultural areas,” Van Gogh said Thursday.

Comment by Fusion Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 11:03 am
Michelle, I never said the state controls real estate taxes. I said Illinois has the fifth highest state and local tax burden in the nation.

Comment by Ron Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 11:03 am
Thanks, Ron. I was a part of the Illinois State Museum’s managerial staff firing/diaspora last fall. I am gainfully employed again in my specialty, which required moving my family to a different part of the country. But I still care about what happens in Illinois, believe it or not. It is a great state… but a great big mess.

Comment by GlimmerGirl Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 11:03 am
- Ron -

Why won’t Gov. Rauner say this…

RAUNER TOUTS LOWEST UNENPLOYMENT IN 9 YEARS

Encouraging Numbers, Rauner Wants Better

SPRINGFIELD - Republican Governor Bruce Rauner is encouraged by the jobs numbers released today, the lowest Illinois has had in 9 years. While Rauner sees these numbers as a sign of Illinois getting better and growing under his leadership. Rauner says there’s more to do.

“These past two years since taking office, unemployment has dropped to levels not seen in nearly a decade. I’m encouraged for Illinois and I look forward to build on these numbers with a strong agenda for jobs and business growth found in my Fiscal Year 2017 budget I’ll be rolling out after the first of the year.”

Rauner, pointing to specific plans budgeted for in the coming General Assembly, Gov. Rauner continues to make job creation and business growth a cornerstone of an economic plan that can get bipartisan support and be implemented quickly.

“This will be a continuation of my commitment to Illinois and to work tirelessly for growth and a better Illinois”

###

Why nothing like this?

Maybe it’s about leverage?

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 11:06 am
Rauner remains a complete and utter disappointment as governor. It is almost as if he doesn’t understand the purpose of the job.

Would any of the other 49 governors refuse to celebrate this type of good economic news?

Comment by DuPage Dave Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 11:23 am
We need more like that, OW.

Comment by GA Watcher Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 11:26 am
Because this lowest unemployment rate isn’t that great of news. We have over 100,000 less people in the workforce than 9 years ago. And less jobs than six years ago.

Comment by Ron Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 11:28 am
What’s Rauner supposed to say? Hey look at us we have fewer people today than 9 years ago and our unemployment rate is slightly lower!

Comment by Ron Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 11:31 am
===Because this lowest unemployment rate isn’t that great of news.===

That is why you fail in your message. You are agenda-driven, not governing driven for “results”.

(Tips cap to - GA Watcher)

Governing also means owning the good when you can to drive agendas forward.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 11:31 am
Illinois doesn’t need a Baghdad Bob as Governor. We had that for 30 years.

Comment by Ron Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 11:36 am
- Ron -

I fed you. Good Luck.

This is lost on you. Nuance is lost on you.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 11:51 am
Who was governor for 30 years?

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 12:02 pm
OW, and you have yet to refute a single thing I have written.

Comment by Ron Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 12:37 pm
- Ron -

If reading for comprehension is a skill you lack, that’s on you.

And you know it.

Good Luck.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 12:42 pm
Ran into a old Springfield friend lat night. He now lives in Utah. How are things in Park City I asked. Booming he said. People from California are flooding the area. And, how about Illinois he asked. I won’t bore the readers with my answer because it can be found in abundance in the commentary contained in this thread. For all I know, Illinois is also sending carloads of citizens to Utah. Who or what is to blame for this State’s decay? Sorry, I don’t have an answer.

Comment by Keyser Soze Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 12:48 pm
Illinois unemployment rate is lower than 9 years ago because the labor force is smaller. This is nothing to celebrate. Please keep up OW.

Comment by Ron Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 12:57 pm
- Ron -

Explain percentages…

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 1:01 pm
- Ron -

You’re also the same person complaining about the wrong tax measurement when it comes to taxes and jobs and businesses, and oblivious that Rauner will sign, arguably, the largest income tax increase in state history…

You know that is coming… correct?

- Ron -

You’re a Raunerbot dropping unconnected points and thinking you understand the governing and the politics and understand neither.

I fed you (again), I’m done. Good luck.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 1:05 pm
I remember when Bob Gough used to run that cute little tea party news site in Quincy. What is it with all these government haters that makes them want to work for the government?

Comment by Highland, Il Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 1:18 pm
The labor force has shrunk by over 120,000 people in 9 years. Employment is down over 130,000 from 9 years ago. This is nothing to be happy about.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 1:26 pm
===The labor force has shrunk===

Yes, it has. We recently learned that tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants have left Illinois. We also know that people are retiring.

Doesn’t explain all of it, I know. We have serious problems. But some things (like the aging population) were gonna happen no matter what.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 1:36 pm
Rich, that’s terrible. Where did you learn that we lost that many workers?

According to the BLS, in 9/07 Illinois had 6.69m people labor force, 6.33m employed people and 353k unemployed people.

In 9/16 we have a 6.56m labor force, 6.20m employed people and 360k unemployed.

It’s terrible, especially when the vast majority of the country has a larger workforce, higher employment and lower unemployment.

Comment by Ron Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 1:49 pm
==peak employment, in pre-recession fall 2011==

Fall 2011 was pre-recession? Need a fact checker on that.

I agree with the Raunerites that employment is more relevant than unemployment. The unemployment rate is relatively low because of the significant decline in the percentage of people (of working age) who are seeking work.

On the other hand, Illinois will generally tend to look bad regarding the simple job growth numbers. Population in the Midwest and Northeast is growing more slowly than nationally, so this is reflected in job growth. It would be nice if the media reported job growth numbers adjusted for population trends.

If the Raunerites ever decide that they are mostly responsible for the state’s economic performance, they may avoid comparing Illinois job growth to the national rate.

Comment by Anon Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 2:32 pm
“In 9/16 we have a 6.56m labor force, 6.20m employed people and 360k unemployed.”

Rich, what is the difference between Labor force and employed? Are you saying only one group is employed?

Comment by Mama retired Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 2:49 pm
–He now lives in Utah. How are things in Park City I asked.–

umm, your friend has a lot of money. Park city is LOADED. Years ago, my in-laws would rent a house in Park City and fly everybody out for skiing at Deer Valley. If you want to see money look up the Stein Erikson lodge. Your friend has choices and made a choice to move to a place that few of us ANYWHERE can make. Few people could afford to live in Park City.

Comment by Honeybear Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 3:32 pm
I agree with the Raunerites that employment is more relevant than unemployment. The unemployment rate is relatively low because of the significant decline in the percentage of people (of working age) who are seeking work.

On the other hand, Illinois will generally tend to look bad regarding the simple job growth numbers. Population in the Midwest and Northeast is growing more slowly than nationally, so this is reflected in job growth. It would be nice if the media reported job growth numbers adjusted for population trends.

If the Raunerites ever decide that they are mostly responsible for the state’s economic performance, they may avoid comparing Illinois job growth to the national rate.

Comment by Anon Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 3:38 pm
The labor force is made of those that are employed and unemployed as defined by the BLS.

Comment by Ron Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 3:38 pm
Illinois looks bad in the context of the Midwest too.

Comment by Ron Friday, Oct 21, 16 @ 4:13 pm