This news article from Crain’s Chicago Business highlights Illinois’ modest job growth in the first quarter of 2025, even as concerns mount over long-term economic stability. Nonfarm employment rose by 0.5% year-over-year, with total jobs in March reaching 6,172,300—up 14,800 from February and 34,200 from March 2024. The government sector, along with private education and health services and leisure and hospitality, saw the largest employment gains. Yet, these gains were offset by significant losses in professional and business services (down 15,000 jobs) and manufacturing (down 5,800), raising red flags about the overall health of the labor market.
Matthew Wilson, associate director of the University of Illinois Chicago’s Great Cities Institute, contributed key insights to the article, emphasizing that the current growth in government and hospitality jobs may not be sustainable. Federal employment cuts and a dip in tourism threaten these sectors’ future viability. Wilson also pointed to troubling trends in the professional and business services sector, where high-paying roles are being lost due to automation and post-pandemic economic recalibrations. He expressed particular concern about the decline in manufacturing jobs, which disproportionately impacts urban working-class Black and Latino populations. While Illinois is investing in advanced industries like quantum computing and data centers, Wilson noted that these jobs require higher levels of education, further widening what he described as the “missing middle” in the state’s job market. He underscored the broader pattern of a bifurcated economy in both Illinois and Chicago—where high-wage, specialized jobs coexist alongside a growing number of low-wage positions with limited benefits.
From Crain’s Chicago Business (To go to the actual article, please click on this link.)
