By: Diane Benjamin
The Illinois Department of Employment Security issued the January report last week. The paper did a story, the rest of the media mostly ignored it or didn’t report the numbers.
While Peoria gained 4,400 jobs comparing January 2018 and January 2019, Bloomington-Normal LOST 1,600. That is a lot of jobs that no longer exist. That is a lot of people without money to spend at local establishments. How many were highly compensated jobs at State Farm?
http://www.ides.illinois.gov/SitePages/NewsArticleDisplay.aspx?NewsID=445
The unemployment rate in McLean County is now 5.4%. http://www.ides.illinois.gov/lmi/Pages/Local_Area_Unemployment_Statistics.aspx
Click on the link and look at the County map. The National unemployment rate is lower, many surrounding counties are even higher than McLean.
What is Illinois and the local response? Raise taxes even higher. Yes, who you vote for matters, so does not voting! The more taxes increase the faster the death spiral accelerates. People are still leaving Illinois for states like Tennessee where property taxes are 1/4 of here with no income tax. No, they don’t make it up with other taxes, the sales tax rate is about the same. Lower tax states spend less and don’t have massive pension debt.
OH, but this will ALL be OK soon when the minimum wage is $15!! Just like the other day when AOC went to her FAVORITE coffee shop and she found they were closing after 30+ years WHY because they were a MARGINAL business barely getting by and the $15 that people like her voted in, put the nails in the casket!
But Mike Matejka will STILL be smug and Tari will still be able to snap his glasses at the “common folks”
I have to believe that the 1,600 net loss was mostly State Farm relocations. Of course, most forget that relocations usually impact more than just the jobholder. Spouses, many of whom are also payroll employees and taxpayers of some form in the Twin Cities move along with them. What is often missing in the net job loss discussion is the skillset or types of jobs both leaving and entering BN. Thanks for making mention of this, Diane! Piecing together some media articles, it seems State Farm is adding low skill, low pay claims jobs while subtracting (or relocating) higher skill tech and non-tech personnel and managerial roles. In actuality, the 1,600 figure should be much higher when adjusting for salary. It’s not a 1-to-1 here, folks! As well, the employee headcount growing in BN lacks transferable skills that could contribute to building the local economy through side gigs or future startups when and if these folks move on from State Farm.
Considering both the realities of the marketplace and the disruption that State Farm is now in, they have no choice but to cut costs dramatically. What we have seen so far from State Farm is just the beginning of a long spiral of change and decline. Automation and low skilled (low wage) workers is the future for State Farm. And yes the impact on Bloomington-Normal will be dramatic. It is already happening. This area is in a general economic decline. Unless we have a miracle happen (a large or many small businesses) relocate here, we are pretty much doomed. Now lets combine the death of retail (happening now), with the death spiral that higher education is in (the student loan bubble and higher education that continues to cost more for less), with the decline of State Farm? Yet know one wants to talk about this? I just want to leave before the decline starts to get bad and crime starts to get worse. I don’t want to be an Illinois statistic.
Illinois, pathetic 0.9% job growth. It doesn’t take a scientist to figure that one out.
https://www3.forbes.com/leadership/the-u-s-states-people-are-fleeing-and-the-ones-they-are-moving-to/11/
About all I know about State Farm is that I know someone who left there and if they were going to get hired back they would have to relocate to another office and no position in B/N.
Pronounced, “ILL-annoy” – go figure.
So other than being negative what’s your big solution? Neither you or any of your commenters have any concrete solutions other than to complaining. Speak for yourselves if living in Illinois is so bad, then move. Gee, move to red states of Kentucky or your Tennessee. Those states are even poorer than Illinois with even lower per capital incomes per person. According to the Census ACS 1-year survey, the median household income for Tennessee was $51,340 in 2017, the latest figures available. Compared to the median US household income, Tennessee median household income is $8,996 lower. In Tennessee More people died of opioid overdoses than vehicle accidents, homicide or suicides. Between 2010-2015, opioid abuse claimed the lives of 6,039 Tennesseans. Tennessee relies on the Federal government for aid 39.9 percent versus Illinois 26.8 percent. We in Illinois PAY for Tennessee low taxes.
According to the Census ACS 1-year survey, the median household income for Illinois was $62,992 in 2017, the latest figures available. Compared to the median US household income, Illinois median household income is $2,656 higher.
Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, New Mexico, Maine—have exceptionally high poverty rates and thus receive disproportionately large shares of federal dollars. They also have high opioid addiction. So if Illinois is so bad, move to a moocher red state.
https://files.taxfoundation.org/20170123145044/FedAidtoStates-011.png
You obviously think the world revolves around government. Free market capitalist believe people create prosperity, government consumes it. Both cities are spending too much money that has to be stolen from people, ditto State of Illinois. This creates a down spiral making them increase taxes, thus making people poorer. It repeats until the system collapses. People are leaving that can. A lot of people can’t leave. The future is not bright for any part of Illinois. The jobs loss is only the beginning.
You’re obviously disregarding the map of which states receive the most GOVERNMENT assistance, That has nothing to do with “free markets”. Your comment about taxes being “stolen” is hilarious. How exactly do you think any government runs? On thin air? Did you build your own roads? Did you build your own water well? Do you form your own Army and Navy? What about all the farmers who are receiving billions aid from the Trump administration? Almost all them voted for Trump. People are leaving? Gee, then get to it and leave. You can then write ridiculous fact free diatribes about another state or city.
Maybe your map shows those states have better reps in DC who know how to “bring home the bacon”.
Jerome… thanks for entering the conversation. It has been sometime since we had someone with full blown TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) in any conversation – Perhaps you should reread the article that is the subject of the thread since you seem to be lapsing into cognitive dissonance like rantings about roads and military? Here is the title for you again: HOW MANY JOBS HAS BLM-NORMAL LOST? Now with that being said, I would recommend turning off your TV and then take it to the road. Yes, Jerome… they are lying to you. It’s all about dividing and conquering us. All of us have lost friends and relatives to TDS. Join me… a lifelong Democrat (50+ years) who left the party that left me and working people behind. I am almost 19 years without a TV, so the mainstream lying media has no effect on my ability to think for myself. Your grasp on reality and the truth is not in a good place. Once again, we are talking about the economic decline and job loss of Bloomington-Normal. OK… Do you have something to say about this?
You are funny! Negative? More like realistic…. So your solution to Illinois’s fiscal mess (junk bond rating), huge budget deficit and sky high taxes is for me to move to Tennessee or Kentucky? And I believe that this discussion was and is about our area (Bloomington-Normal)? So as State Farm (the 20th Century dinosaur) continues to decline, should our leaders and (us) not talk about the disaster that is headed to our area? Should we go quietly as we become another Decatur or Galesburg? I for one will not be silent…. this is my home and I don’t want to see it turned into a poverty stricken crime ridden hell hole.
Where exactly did I mention Trump? I didn’t other than to state that he is giving farmers billions of dollars in bailouts, which is 100 percent true. You certainly have a lot of pent up projection going for you. It was the writer of this blog suggestion that those who don’t like the taxation in Illinois move, not mine. If you’re that unhappy about our state, then move. Both the states of Alabama and Tennessee have poorer populations and and those populations are addicted to drugs and more than likely to collect welfare. They also have cities like Memphis and Birmingham have have huge areas of urban blight, that neither Bloomington or Normal currently have. I wouldn’t call either Bloomington or Normal “hell holes”. But heck both states have low taxes, so go for it move to moocher Tennessee.
How did Illinois get that huge budget deficits? Our former governor refused to pass an actual budget for three years. That is the source of Illinois budget deficit, it’s impossible to have a budget if a governor refuses to sign a budget. With no budget bills could not be paid. That’s no way to run a government much less a entire state. That is also the source of our bond rating. Rauner did a lot of damage in 4 years.
The taxation that the current governor is proposing is a progressive income tax, which those who make little or no income will not be paying. That also means lawmakers would have to send voters a proposed constitutional amendment, which couldn’t get on the ballot for consideration until 2020 at the earliest. 97 percent of taxpayers will get some relief. It’s not much, but sneer at a $271 annual tax cut for a family of four earning $61,000 at your own peril.
Again, I have to ask how the writer of this blog how she believes anything from the local to national level gets funded. Taxes. It’s our civic and patriotic responsibility to pay. She should use that line of “government steals” taxes when she files her taxes this year. I bet anything the judge sentencing her to the slammer would get a good laugh out of that tatic.
You are such a hoot! I couldn’t finish reading past at Rauner’s fault. When you head manages to get above ground, come back and have a reasoned discussion instead of your propaganda. Until you can think rationally I have to ban you. Regina is that you sneaking in again? Get a life!
This is symptomatic of cognitive dissonance – it is called a word salad – they are just all over the place and making very little sense. It is sad to see what has been done to so many people. I lost a great friend to TDS. Any mention of Trump turns on the hate machine inside of her and there is no talking to her about the real world. She is just gone…
These is a direct quote from you: “What about all the farmers who are receiving billions aid from the Trump administration? Almost all them voted for Trump. People are leaving? Gee, then get to it and leave. You can then write ridiculous fact free diatribes about another state or city.”
TDS is a horrible disease… get help
Meet the new troll, same as the old troll, lol. Jerome you ain’t follin’ nobody!
Funny you should mention Tennessee. We considered moving there even going so far as to visit before settling on moving to a different state. I think you data points are skewed by the fact that they are for the entire state. Any discussion of Illinois has to separate Chicago from the rest of the state. Chicago area is doing fine. The rest of the state not so much.
Additionally, median income alone is not enough to do a complete comparison. Overall quality of life may be better even if median income is less.
Economic conditions do not change overnight. I think Tennessee is on an upwards trajectory. Illinois is not. The solutions are to cut government. I suggest taking a look at the Illinois Policy Institute. While I definitely do not agree with everything they say I do think they have some good suggestions (including cutting the number of units of government).
Income doesn’t have to be the same if taxes are incredibly lower.
You say you considered Tenn but ultimately went somewhere else. Where did you end up? I ask because once I retire I will be leaving Illinois ASAP.
People like you do not help. You said Months ago East St Hardware was closing…..they are still open but they had to lay off people because business slowed this year. I told them what you reported and they are talking to a Lawyer……now there is a Job !!!
You are so funny! The sign they had by the cash register was an April Fools joke?
Yes it is people like mean old Diane (and me) who are causing the economic decline here in Bloomington-Normal. I believe that hardware store is owned by a Landscaping Company here in town? So it is a side business then? Anyway, I think both Diane and I will continue to speak the truth about what is happening here into the foreseeable future (fake threats of legal action will not work). I know that the left is moving toward trying to silence anyone who speaks the truth. Tell you what Bobby, you can take my ability to speak the truth away at the same time you come to take my gun away.
JEROME STOLL SAYS, “Between 2010-2015, opioid abuse claimed the lives of 6,039 Tennesseans.” So Jerome when will you advocate for doing away with opioids? They’re dangerous man! Look out!!!