State Rep. Amy Grant took to social media Tuesday to urge her colleagues to enact legislation to help the state's economy thrive. | repgrant.com
State Rep. Amy Grant took to social media Tuesday to urge her colleagues to enact legislation to help the state's economy thrive. | repgrant.com
State Rep. Amy Grant took to social media Tuesday to urge her colleagues to enact legislation to help the state's economy thrive.
Illinois is faced with a struggling economy and an unemployment rate that remains above the national average.
"Illinois' unemployment rate fell to 4.5% in June, but still remains higher than the national average. Our state continues to lag behind the rest of the country as we work to recover from the pandemic," Grant said in a Facebook post.
"We have to enact policies that encourage employers to grow and thrive here at home to provide the best opportunities for our residents."
According to Capitol News Illinois, June's 4.5% unemployment rate is the lowest it's been since the COVID-19 pandemic began, but still falls in the top five highest unemployment rates in the country.
Nearby states, including Indiana, Missouri, Iowa and Wisconsin, all have unemployment rates under 3%. At the pandemic's peak in April 2020, the unemployment rate reached 17.4% when nonessential businesses were shuttered.
Back in April, Deputy Gov. Andy Manar said the economy was on a positive trajectory. In a press release, he said the state was ready to help "job seekers and employers with innovative resources to connect across the state."
According to a survey of about 700 business owners by Chief Executive magazine, Illinois was ranked the third-worst state to do business, behind California and New York, the Center Square reported. Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski pointed to corruption, high taxes, numerous regulations and massive debts as some of the reasons for the state's poor performance.
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