Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Illinois Still Bleeding Jobs

  • In June, Illinois suffered the largest monthly workforce loss in recorded state history.

    June’s workforce loss was worse than the worst month of the Great Recession. Overall, 21,700 Illinoisans gave up and left the workforce in June; in September 2008, 17,500 Illinoisans quit the workforce. (Bureau of Labor Statistics data go back to 1976.)

    This hefty workforce loss has driven state’s unemployment rate down to 7.1 percent from 7.5 percent, creating a superficial appearance of improvement. And Gov. Pat Quinn says Illinois needs to “keep the momentum.”

    Keeping up this sort of “momentum” would be disastrous.
Disastrous indeed.

Labels:

39 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

In an Obama economy all that matters is optics. Besides unemployed people are dependent on the government people. This is a good thing. Also depending on their former job, unemployed people are not out there polluting our air and water. Think like a progressive.

7/22/2014 12:21:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

On a related note, RINO Rauner proposed an income tax hike today. We are so screwed in this state.

7/22/2014 12:48:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My only thoughts to all this is vote out the guy who is in office.

7/22/2014 01:02:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Obama's hometown

7/22/2014 01:03:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Blurring the line between help wanted ads and actual job creation.

Looks like Rahm and company need to have his corporate friends post some more job openings on the net that they never intend to fill -- so that the media can point at all the open job ads like there's some sort of job opportunity and hiring going on here.

That's how the IDES does it. Look!

212,000 Help Wanted OnLine Ads in June

​For Immediate Release | Greg Rivara, Media contact: 312-793-9635 (PDF version)
Bloomington/Peoria, Decatur/Springfield, Rockford,
Champaign/Danville and Quad Cities Among State Leaders

CHICAGO – More than 212,000 help wanted ads for Illinois job openings were posted on the internet in June and 85 percent sought full‑time workers, the Illinois Department of Employment Security said today, citing an independent report. The data is not seasonally adjusted.

(then they pile it on)

Statewide, the top five advertised positions in June were truck drivers (11,188), registered nurses, (6,446), retail salespersons (4,875), first‑line supervisors of retail salespersons (4,269) and marketing managers (4,201).....

http://www.ides.illinois.gov/SitePages/NewsArticleDisplay.aspx?NewsID=222

Now let me ask you something.

You mean to tell me Illinois just couldn't find truck drivers, retail sales people for all those positions if they actually existed?

Posting the number of help wanted ads like it's the number of jobs open is bullshit.

What's worse is that they dupe the people into thinking that they need some other kind of training or picked the wrong major and that's why the truck driving positions etc can't be filled.

YEAH, the unemployed need to take a Chicago community college course on welding according to the mayor so they can put you deeper in debt and buy time hoping somethings gonna happen by the time you get your worthless certificate.

Placing want ads could not be cheaper on the net today. Why not bump the number up to 500,000 positions you don't intend to fill for election time. It's all about conjuring up hope

7/22/2014 01:04:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great work if they want to make us a third world country.

7/22/2014 01:08:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...


June is when all the college kids graduate and enter the workforce or so I had thought.

7/22/2014 01:18:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

you have to keep up the momentum as we may have 7000 new central American kids.

7/22/2014 01:23:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

In Illinois, foreclosures are up 22% from May of this year. There is another housing bubble that is about to pop.

7/22/2014 01:37:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yep - no jobs = no tax base = no revenues to pay for things.

PLUS - you have people moving out because they are tired for paying the premium for corruption.

What's left? AND - who is left?


















































































































7/22/2014 01:55:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The ironic thing is that good paying industrial jobs are actually leaving China and coming back to the US.

Only the jobs are going to low cost, low tax states like Texas and South Carolina.

Illinois and Rauner will have to some serious work in order to compete for those re-shoring jobs. Quinn will just continue the decline of the Illinois.

7/22/2014 04:51:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...



Democratic = party of decline

7/22/2014 05:55:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Not to worry. We are about to be inundated with thousands of central american utes who will take these jobs that Americans won't take!!

7/22/2014 07:04:00 AM  
Anonymous Real Executive said...

HEY - Jobs in Illinois ARE A JOKE.

White collar people have been laid off at MANY large corporations and replaced with H-1B Visa workers (non-citizens who work for cheaper salaries and benefits)

With all these people taking up what used to be the "good-paying jobs" downtown, many people who used to make $60K - $125K are out-of-work AND have no prospects to getting something even close to what they were making.

Software developers and engineers are out-of-work. MBAs are out-of-work. These people have great skills, but nowhere to apply them.

If you were making $100,000 and now can only find something paying $36,000 with LESS benefits - what would you do? Ride unemployment for as long as you could - or take a minimum wage job?

And the Illinois Job Placement department is a joke.

"Here is a warehouse job for $9-$10 an hour." That is no job for someone who has real skills.

"Oh, here if you know how to drive a forklift - you can make $14-$15 an hour at the same place."

Sorry, but Forklift 101 was not a course required for an MBA or a Computer Science degree.

AND - there should be no comments like, "tough luck" or "too bad" from any of you. These people paid taxes to pay for YOUR salaries and benefits, now if they are lucky they have a job at all paying one third of what they used to make.

Foreclosures up in Illinois? People moving out?

That's no surprise. The tax base is eroding - and politicians promising you more salary and pensions should be sent to jail for financial mismanagement.

Look at Detroit - employees and retirees agreed to cuts in order to get Detroit moving from bankruptcy. It will happen here as Chicago and Illinois are worse off than Detroit.

Vote the incumbents OUT. They do NOT have my or your best interest at heart - only theirs.

7/22/2014 07:25:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Every tax paying citizen of Illinois is funding the downward spiral of this state and the continuous corruption and greed of every Illinois politician.

7/22/2014 07:47:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Even Barry and Michelle do not want to come back to Illinois..

From the LA Times.
http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hotprop-barack-obama-20140721-story.html

7/22/2014 07:49:00 AM  
Blogger The Keesing Bandit said...

Econ 101 was not kinnd to Quinn.

Now, kees me you fool!!!!

7/22/2014 08:09:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Illinois has a lot to offer people/families. Beautiful land and scenery, great outdoor recreation areas, job opportunities, superior universities, superior health care, friendly citizens, mild climate, great schools, relaxed lifestyle, inexpensive housing and enlightened political leadership.

7/22/2014 08:20:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Labor stats for unemployment are rated U-1 to U-6. U-2 is usually reported. ALWAYS ASK FOR U-6. It is the broadest measure of unemployment and is actually designed to catch folks who 'drop off' the radar. Many regards, and thanks for a fine blog. Signed: Your friendly mathmetician/economist.

7/22/2014 08:41:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The democratic voters in Felinois don't care about facts. They will still go to the polls in November and cast another ballot for the same losers now in office. They can't think for themselves.

7/22/2014 09:42:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Why work if the state will give you hundreds of dollars on link and hundreds more per baby, stupid free cell phones, stupid free high speed internet thru comcast for "low income" families, and all the other bullshit disability for fat people perks you can get while not working? Why work if they'll pay me for sitting on my fat ass? The moments in time that have the largest numbers of people entering the workforce are when peoples unemployment runs out. Magically 85% of people find jobs within a week after their unemployment disappears. It's lazy shithead human nature. We allow a weak class of people to live among us, like a ball and chain around our necks. Workin man a sucker? I don't think so. I'd rather have integrity and a checking account that I earned from the sweat off my back. We love in a country full of ball-less leaders. At this point the money is coming from nowhere, ghost money. The tit has been sucked dry. I got my 1000 rounds and a bug out bag, do u?

7/22/2014 09:48:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is Oblama's home town, so you know he is going to what he can to help....in between all those fundraisers and so forth.

Not anything that would really work, because hard work and results are the anathema of his existence.

Just manipulate the numbers. Drive the workforce numbers down which drives the unemployment numbers down.

See? Everything solved with just a few clicks on a spreadsheet!

Not a cop.

7/22/2014 09:58:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i hate mr potato head, but in fairness bls also said this....http://blogs.marketwatch.com/capitolreport/2014/07/21/illinois-sees-biggest-drop-in-nation-in-unemployment-during-june/
lots of ways to parse data. i will not vote for quinn. just trying to be fair

7/22/2014 11:27:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Quinn should be given a bathtub and a knife.

7/22/2014 11:40:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

spiral of death strikes again.

7/22/2014 12:55:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Maybe if there were actual jobs for urban youth perhaps some would seize the opportunity to work and in essence be to tired to party all night long and blaze that chronic and bust caps. Washington DC specifically the democratic party controlled senate has more an interest in foreign born children then American children. We can seem to find jobs for Americans but it seems there is a crisis for other nation’s people. The city’s public schools are a failure, the taxes are out of control, everything is over regulated and political corruption is as common as a fart in your general direction. Golly, I wonder why employers are leaving this state and job growth is a dismal failure. Joe Biden was right-its all about that three letter word J-O-B-S. Many social problems and financial problems would disappear if Americans not border jumpers were working. American pay taxes non residents get paid cash and seek freebies government so willingly provides. Its sad to seem the country unraveling right be our eyes. Its by design, not an accident.

7/22/2014 01:08:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

When good hard working citizens up and leave and take along their voting preferences, the states electoral votes will undoubtedly be cast for which political party?

7/22/2014 01:33:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Quinn just signed a bill to borrow ANOTHER billion for...what else...Road Re-Construction.
Borrow/Spend - Borrow More/Spend More -
Roads repaired every 4 years -why? Piece meal construction jobs is how Ilinois operates its job market. No manufacturing just build roads and repair the repaired ones again. Dig a hole move the dirt pile, fill the hole with new dirt from another hole. Move that pile of dirt aside and dig another hole. Keep moving dirt piles.
I don't know who's richer the concrete guy or the excavator guy.
Why not just pay the bills and pension obligations Governor. Absolutely NO moratorium on spending ever from a Democrat. Rahm is no different.

7/22/2014 02:15:00 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I don't know, Mr. Mayor. He looks pretty pekid.

Maybe we should bleed him again.

7/22/2014 02:57:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I guess Stacey baca didn't get the memo
After the disastrous jobs report in madiganastan
She and 7 run a piece on the best places in il to work

7/22/2014 03:05:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

Labor stats for unemployment are rated U-1 to U-6. U-2 is usually reported. ALWAYS ASK FOR U-6. It is the broadest measure of unemployment and is actually designed to catch folks who 'drop off' the radar. Many regards, and thanks for a fine blog. Signed: Your friendly mathmetician/economist.

7/22/2014 08:41:00 AM

Hey there friendly mathematician/economist!

Can't speak for everybody, (especially the Rahm-bots climbing all over a blog they want so desperately to shut down) but thanks for your time and insight... You should feel free to weigh in on any matters pertaining to plausible constants being rubbed against bullshit variables to yield a bullshit product by intentional design of mayor Rumplestiltskin.



7/22/2014 05:48:00 PM  
Blogger I Fart In Your General Direction said...

Anonymous said...
Quinn should be given a bathtub and a knife.

7/22/2014 11:40:00 AM


That's some of the funniest shit I've read in a long time. Thank you.

7/22/2014 05:58:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

These are not job losses. These are people who realize in Illinois you can make more money with Illinois welfare benefits. In Illinois and and as of today 45% put in and 55% take. By definition, we are a socialist state. While, raising taxes again to support raising welfare benefits.

7/22/2014 06:25:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Maybe if there were actual jobs for urban youth perhaps some would seize the opportunity to work and in essence be to tired to party all night long and blaze that chronic and bust caps. Washington DC specifically the democratic party controlled senate has more an interest in foreign born children then American children. We can seem to find jobs for Americans but it seems there is a crisis for other nation’s people. The city’s public schools are a failure, the taxes are out of control, everything is over regulated and political corruption is as common as a fart in your general direction. Golly, I wonder why employers are leaving this state and job growth is a dismal failure. Joe Biden was right-its all about that three letter word J-O-B-S. Many social problems and financial problems would disappear if Americans not border jumpers were working. American pay taxes non residents get paid cash and seek freebies government so willingly provides. Its sad to seem the country unraveling right be our eyes. Its by design, not an accident.

7/22/2014 01:08:00 PM
I wanted to comment on your first sentence before everyone came in here bashing you, claiming "they don't want to work" or what ever. A couple examples I want to use is the fairly new walmart on Diversey and Kilpatrick and the staff seems to be overwhelmingly black teens/ early 20s adults and Hispanics make up about the rest of the staff. Most walmarts and Mariano's seem to be the same way. It seems If "urban youth" actually have a chance to become productive members of society before welfare gets a hold of them, they will. I'd hope they have someone in their lives to explain to them that they should not try to make Walmart a career, though. On Illinois being dead last in job creation, of course our government can't have the next generation of minorities, hell the next generation of everyone, not becoming dependent on them though.

The hospital where I work a woman got her son a job as a sterile processing technician. I swear I would have never suspected the young man had a drug conviction the year prior. He then was able to get a friend of his a job who more than likely would have been right where the young man was a year prior. Urban youth want what democrats don't want for them.

7/22/2014 07:08:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Illinois, and now the country in general, has a hatred of business and they REALLY HATE profits. These politicians do everything they can to strangle businesses if they manage to open. Over regulation, one of the highest corporate taxes in the world, I know, let 'em pay! Businesses don't pay taxes, their customers do in the form of higher prices, the business acts as a holder of those funds until they remit them to the government.

How many foreigners have you seen with a small business? They aren't afraid to try, they usually come from somewhere where life is a bit harder than here so the hard work doesn't bother them. Arabs and liquor/food stores, Mexicans and lawn care, restaurants or automobile repair shops, Greeks in restaurants and Italians in banquet halls. It's risky, trying to make a go of it, long hours, sometimes hard or dangerous work. But, if they make it, they have a nice house in a decent suburb and they drive nice cars and have money in the bank and a house full of kids that get enrolled in the university. That is the American way, not this hassle businesses or get on public aid.

7/22/2014 09:01:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Rauner is a wolf in sheeps clothing.
He's Rahms boy.Either candidate either way we are fucked.

7/22/2014 09:35:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I Fart In Your General Direction said...
Anonymous said...
Quinn should be given a bathtub and a knife.

7/22/2014 11:40:00 AM

That's some of the funniest shit I've read in a long time. Thank you.

7/22/2014 05:58:00 PM


If George Ryan didn't take the honorable road out I see no reason Quinn will either. Maybe if his brother from Sicily would come over and make an appearance...

7/22/2014 11:57:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just finished reading a book by a former Illinois State Trooper on corruption in the ISP and state government. I'm from Louisiana, where the official motto of the state government is "Shut the hell up, you could live in Illinois!"

7/23/2014 09:26:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...
Just finished reading a book by a former Illinois State Trooper on corruption in the ISP and state government. I'm from Louisiana, where the official motto of the state government is "Shut the hell up, you could live in Illinois!"

7/23/2014 09:26:00 PM


The daughter (Lisa Grau) of the ISP Director (Hiram Grau) has a sweet job with the Sec of State running the "immigrant driver license program."

She got it legit like, all fair etc. They did a worldwide search followed by competitive exam and she ended up the best person for the job. Really. It is just a coincidence she is related to someone high up in state government.

7/24/2014 03:11:00 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home

Newer Posts.......................... ..........................Older Posts