Illinois Financial Health: By the Numbers
Illinois has a history of mismanagement
 Projected deficit of $9 billion or about 12% of all-funds spending of $74 billion in
FY20161

$111 Billion pension deficit2
Mismanagement has earned Illinois the following rankings
 Worst Credit Rating3 and Government and Fiscal Policy in the Nation4

Bottom ½ of States for Business Climate5
IL ranks 31st

Bottom 1/3 of States for Small Businesses6
IL ranks 35th in the nation
These conditions hurt Illinois residents
 0.9 The # of days IL could operate on its reserve funds7
Only Arkansas ranks worse than Illinois
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Only 9.8% of employment is based in Illinois manufacturing, while neighboring states
average more than 13% and Indiana is nearly 17%8

6.1% unemployment rate9; higher than the national average

As a result of slow growth in Illinois, a Chicago child raised in a family earning in the
bottom fifth of all earners only has a 6.1% chance of ever earning an income in the top
fifth10
Apocalypse Now? The Consequences of Pay-Later Budgeting in Illinois: Updated Projections from IGPA’s Fiscal Futures Model. The Fiscal Futures Project. January 2015
Illinois' budget deficit twice as bad as you think. Crain’s Chicago Business. January 15, 2015
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Infographic: S&P State Credit Ratings, 2001–2014. The Pew Charitable Trusts. June 9, 2014 and 2014 Update. Illinois’ National Rankings. Commission on Government Forecasting and
Accountability, Illinois General Assembly. pp. 62.
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2014 Update. Illinois’ National Rankings. Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, Illinois General Assembly. pp. 62.
2014 Update. Illinois’ National Rankings. Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, Illinois General Assembly. pp. 55-56
2014 Update. Illinois’ National Rankings. Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, Illinois General Assembly. pp. 58
Fiscal 50: State Trends and Analysis. The Pew Charitable Trusts. February 25, 2015.
Indiana has highest share of total employment in manufacturing, April 2014. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 21, 2014.
Illinois Department of Employment Security. March 12, 2015.
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Graduated tax could narrow income gap. The Chicago Tribune. March 8, 2015.
IllinoisGO.org