JOB CREATION: Since 2010, Illinois has recovered only 215,800 jobs, which is 42,000 fewer than Gov. Pat Quinn’s claim of 257,400. More importantly, Illinois is the only state in the Midwest that had fewer payroll jobs in January 2014 than it did when Quinn took office in January 2009.
UNEMPLOYMENT: Illinois has the second-highest unemployment rate nationally, and the highest in the Midwest. More than 1 million people are unemployed or underemployed. Since Quinn took office five years ago, unemployment has jumped to 8.7 percent from 8 percent.
Illinois unemployment is not at its lowest level in five
years.
years.
OPERATING BUDGET: In 2010, Quinn’s first full budget year in office, the state’s General Revenue Fund spending totaled nearly $33 billion. That number grew to $36 billion in fiscal year 2014, a $3 billion increase.
SPENDING CUTS: Spending has increased under Quinn. The state is spending $3 billion more today than it did during 2010, Quinn’s first full budget year in office.
STATE PAYROLL: Between 2008 and 2012, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees’ workforce expanded to 38,837 workers, an increase of 17 percent. Between 2008 and 2011, the overall annual cost of wages for these employees shot up by 26 percent, or nearly $500 million.
PENSIONS: Quinn’s supposed “pension reform” law failed to fix the state’s crisis. At best, Illinois’ recent pension bill reduces the state’s unfunded liability to 2011 levels – levels that had already thrown Illinois into crisis and that Democrat leadership used as justification for its 2011 tax hike in the first place.
BACKLOG OF BILLS: In 2011, the state’s backlog of bills was $8.5 billion. As of March 2014, the backlog of bills has only been reduced by $1.5 billion, to $7 billion.
ECONOMIC RECOVERY: Illinois has 194,000 fewer payroll jobs and 375,000 fewer people employed than when the Great Recession began, the worst in the Midwest for both measures. As a percent of workforce, those losses are worst and second-worst in the Midwest, respectively.
DIVERSE ECONOMY: Illinois businesses are “diversifying” into other states. Just this week, Caterpillar Inc. announced that they will expand in Georgia rather than Illinois. That news comes on the heels of AM Manufacturing announcing it is leaving Illinois for Indiana. OfficeMax Inc. is leaving Naperville for Florida, and countless small businesses are crossing borders as well.
TRAINED WORKFORCE: Illinois has a shrinking workforce. There are 85,000 fewer people employed today than when Quinn became governor. The labor force has contracted by 50,000 since Quinn took office, even though Illinois’ working-age population has grown by 200,000.
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