Wilcox calls for changes in Springfield as state unemployment rate rises

(The Center Square) – With the state’s unemployment rate already now at 5.3%, Republican state Sen. Craig Wilcox is warning that the number of people he feels are being hurt by policy decisions in Springfield only figures to multiply.

New U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows Illinois’ unemployment rate crept up to 5.3% in August, which ranks as the second highest in the country and the highest of all neighboring states.

“We need to address policies that create jobs, that encourage businesses and that understand there's economic impact on every policy out there,” Wilcox told The Center Square. “Right now, the policies that are being pushed in Springfield and the policies that have been pushed in DC for the last four years, they're not friendly to business. We need an administration in the General Assembly that's legitimately business minded.”

During the month of August, data shows that 343,000 residents were left looking for work as the state’s growing jobless list easily topped the national average of 4.2%. Over the last year, the state has seen job growth of 36,300 positions, ranking 44th among all states for non-farm job growth at 0.59%, or nearly a full-point behind the national average growth of 1.51%.

“The newspaper only talks about those large businesses that announce layoffs of 200 like Amazon's Fulfillment Center,” Wilcox said. “What they don't talk about are the 20 or 30 or 100 small businesses that have reduced staff. Small businesses are the workforce of America and when they start hurting because of policy impacts to their pocketbook, it means people are out of work.”

With the state seeing its largest job growth in the area of state government, Wilcox worries what kind of message the overall sputtering numbers send to people.

“What happens to individuals who are struggling that have no hope?” he said. “We see it in Chicago every day, shortly to follow the high unemployment will be higher crime rates. We need to address policies that create jobs.”

Since the pandemic, the job recovery rate in Illinois ranks 46th in the country, with only 13,500 more jobs than were available in early 2020. During that time, the state has lost such businesses as Caterpillar, Boeing and Citadel and in 2023, some 32,826 residents decided to leave the state, marking the 10th straight year of net population decline.