Giertz: Economic news in Illinois mostly good

Posted on November 4, 2019
The Flash index considers sales tax, corporate tax, and income tax receipts to produce a number that, if greater than 100, means growth. (Photo University of Illinois)

 

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois economy again follows some of the national numbers.

University of Illinois economics professor Fred Giertz says the index – considering corporate earnings, personal income, and retail sales – is down slightly, from 105.5 to 105.3. Anything greater than 100 means growth.

“We are moving up at a lower rate. President Trump suggests we could move up to 3-4 percent growth rate. That happened for a short time. We are back now to the two percent range, pretty typical of the recovery from the recession in 2009. That’s not great, but it is certainly better than what a lot of people were fearing, which was an actual downturn.”

Most remarkable, says Giertz, is a state unemployment rate below four percent, lowest in almost a half century.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…