By: Diane Benjamin

Large company plant closings and layoffs are posted on this website: https://www.illinoisworknet.com/LayoffRecovery/Pages/IllinoisWARNData.aspx

Before election day the Tyson Foods closing affecting 2495 people was the last one posted. That was mid October.

Nothing else was posted until the day AFTER the election. These are all new:

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The first listing is a closure, all the rest are mass layoffs.

Another 1238 people are losing their jobs in Illinois.

Were these figures not released until after the election in an effort to downplay Illinois’ unemployment rate? The state’s rate remains higher than those of surrounding states and is unlikely to improve under continued single-party control. Companies are generally reluctant to locate or expand in a state perceived as unfriendly to business, except in cases where projects align with green energy priorities and qualify for subsidies.