Serving UIC's Great Cities Commitment: Solutions for Today's Urban Challenges

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.)

The historic partnership between the U.S. and Canada in managing the Great Lakes is facing increasing uncertainty due to rising diplomatic tensions under the Trump administration. Recently, the White House abruptly disinvited two Canadian mayors from the annual Great Lakes Day summit in Washington, D.C., citing “diplomatic protocols.” This exclusion, occurring amidst ongoing trade disputes, has raised concerns that the U.S. may be shifting away from the long-standing tradition of binational cooperation in overseeing the world’s largest freshwater system.

For over a century, both countries have relied on agreements such as the Boundary Waters Treaty (1909), the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (1955), and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (1972) to collaboratively manage pollution, invasive species, and water resource use. However, President Trump has reportedly expressed interest in revisiting shared water management, fueling fears that the lakes could be treated as a commodity rather than a protected ecological system. Compounding these concerns, federal budget cuts and staffing reductions at NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory have disrupted scientific collaboration, delaying efforts to address harmful algal blooms and invasive species. Experts warn that without continued U.S.-Canada coordination, the effectiveness of conservation efforts will be significantly weakened.

Dr. Rachel Havrelock, a faculty fellow at the Great Cities Institute and director of the Freshwater Lab at the University of Illinois Chicago, has voiced serious concerns over these developments. She warns that the weakening of this partnership threatens one of the most stable and successful environmental governance models in the world. She stresses that the Great Lakes must be managed as a shared ecological system, rather than as a resource for political or economic leverage. With the lakes providing drinking water for over 30 million people, Havrelock emphasizes that binational cooperation is essential for long-term sustainability and environmental protection. Her concerns reflect broader fears that recent political shifts could undo decades of progress in preserving and protecting the Great Lakes.

From Yahoo! News, in collaboration with Grist, Interlochen Public Radio in Northern Michigan, and WBEZ (To go to the actual article, please click on this link.)

In an exclusive interview, Juan Gonzalez, senior research fellow at UIC’s Great Cities Institute, and Reyna Torres Mendivil, Consul General of Mexico in Chicago, weighed in on the potential consequences of the U.S.’s proposed 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports, which are currently on a 30-day negotiation pause.

• • Economic Impact on Jobs and Manufacturing
    Gonzalez highlighted the deep economic ties between the U.S. and Mexico, particularly in auto manufacturing, where Mexico produced 4 million vehicles in 2024, with half made by U.S. companies like GM and Ford. He warned that tariffs could hit the working class the hardest, raising vehicle costs and putting hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk.

• • Supply Chain Disruptions and Consumer Prices
    Torres Mendivil stressed that trade between Mexico and the U.S. exceeds $8 billion annually, making any disruption a major economic threat. She warned that if the tariffs proceed, they will impact supply chains and raise prices for millions of consumers in both countries. A Brookings Institution report estimates potential job losses of up to 400,000 if Mexico and Canada retaliate.

• • Trade, Border Security, and Drug Trafficking
    Trump has positioned the tariffs as a border security measure, pressuring Mexico to curb drug trafficking. However, Gonzalez pushed back on this framing, stating: “Illicit drugs continue to flow because there’s money to be made. A real solution must address both supply and demand.” Torres Mendivil also pointed out that illegal firearm trafficking into Mexico needs to be part of the discussion.

• • What’s Next?
    With 30 days to negotiate, the future of North American trade hangs in the balance. Whether the pause leads to a resolution or escalates into a full-blown trade war remains to be seen.

From WTTW (To go to the actual article, please click on this link.)