On Election Day, Chicago’s Morning Answer welcomed back Ted Dabrowski, President of Wirepoints, to break down the latest economic data from Illinois—and what it reveals is not encouraging.
Despite Governor Pritzker’s globe-trotting trade missions and rosy rhetoric, new 2024 data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and Bureau of Labor Statistics shows Illinois near the bottom nationally when it comes to job growth, wage increases, and economic competitiveness.
📉 Wage Growth Lagging
Illinois posted just 1.3% wage growth in 2024, while neighboring states like Wisconsin (6.4%) and Indiana (2.6%) surged ahead. “We’re sucking wind,” Dabrowski put it bluntly. The comparison is especially stark because these are states with similar demographics and economies—highlighting just how much Illinois is underperforming due to poor governance.
📊 GDP and Unemployment
Illinois’s GDP growth was just 1.2%, and its 4.8% unemployment rate is the fifth-worst in the country. While other Midwestern states are thriving, Illinois continues to stagnate under bloated government spending, burdensome regulation, and a refusal to address real structural issues.
🏠 High Taxes, Low Results
Dabrowski emphasized the unsustainable nature of Illinois’ tax burden. “You can pay off your house, but you’ll never be able to keep up with the property taxes,” Dan Proft quipped. And yet, for all the taxes being collected, critical services—like education—continue to fail.
📚 Broken Schools, Bloated Contracts
One example: the new Chicago Teachers Union contract. While it’s billed as a 16% raise over four years, the real increase—after steps and other benefits—is closer to 32%. Meanwhile, CPS enrollment continues to decline, even as the district hires thousands of additional staff and faces worsening academic outcomes. “Where’s the money going?” Dabrowski asked. “Not to results.”
👪 Family Breakdown and Public Safety
Dabrowski also raised a powerful cultural concern: the collapse of the nuclear family in many Illinois communities. New FOIA data Wirepoints obtained shows shockingly high rates of out-of-wedlock births, especially in cities struggling with crime and educational failure. In Rockford, 85% of Black births and 50% of white births are to unwed mothers. “How can we preserve values, education, and order under these conditions?” Dabrowski asked.
🏫 The Importance of Local Elections
Dabrowski closed with a call to action. Local elections often determine school board policies, property tax rates, and public safety priorities—but voter turnout remains low. “You have to connect the dots,” he said. “If you care about your home values, your taxes, and your kids’ education, you have to care about who runs your town.”
🗳️ It’s not just about Springfield. It’s your school board. Your village. Your library.
Illinois may feel broken—but turning it around starts locally.