Illinois General Population
Illinois has seen decreases in population for a very long while now. There have been many reasons that can contribute to this, such as COVID, the government and more. Additionally, income is a very huge issue in the state of Illinois.
This further provokes families, as well as businesses, to move out of Illinois. This is certainly a huge issue for the citizens of Illinois, as this can negatively contribute to the economic status of the state. As aforementioned, these reasons vary in severity, and whether or not the state is going to do anything to compensate for this.
Illinois Seeing Population Decline
Illinois has been seeing a steady decline of residents for the past year. According to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Illinois was one of eight states to see a population declines during 2023. However, the bureau says that the decline is occurring at a slower rate than in previous years.
It is declining at a slower rate than before, but it is still seeing an unfortunate decline. Many argue in favor that the population will continue to decline in 2024. However, there are others who argue that it will begin to increase in 2024.
Illinois Ranking in Census
Despite losing a large amount of people, which was around 33,000 residents, Illinois was still highly ranked within the census. “Illinois lost 32,826 people between July 2022 and July 2023, trailing only New York and California in total population decline. But Illinois maintained its ranking as the sixth most populous state at 12,549,689, according to the annual census update released Tuesday,” according to Yahoo! News.
Subsequently, this decline does not affect Illinois in any way within the ranking system. However, the fact that there were many people that were lost is something that needs to be taken into consideration in the future.
Increase in Minimum Wage
Despite Illinois seeing a massive decrease in residents, Illinois is also seeing an increase in minimum wage starting January 1. “Workers will see an increase of $1 per hour from $13 to $14. The minimum wage for tipped workers will rise to $8.40 per hour,” according to The Center Square. Moreover, this size minimum wage will surely attract a large number of residents from all around the nation, as this is certainly going to be a great plan by the city.
Negative Impact of Business Leaving Chicago
If businesses continue to leave Chicago, more and more residents will continue to leave as well. Eventually, Illinois will no longer be ranked 6th in the nation, and additionally, if vital businesses begin to leave, permanent residents will notice a lack of support systems city and state-wide.
The amount of damage this could potentially cause is certainly something that needs to be avoided at all costs. Businesses are just that vital to the City of Chicago, as they keep the city on its feet. Additionally, if more businesses leave Chicago, that means people will lose their jobs because of that decision. There are many negative impacts it will surely have.
The Future of Population Decline and the State
The population declining is certainly something that needs to be addressed by the city. If it continues to decrease it will certainly be a huge issue, and will be something that eventually will be impossible to come back from.
Additionally, business retention is another area that the government needs to focus on, if the government wants Illinois to stay standing. Only the future will tell how the government will turn their attention to these particular problems, and if anything will be done to accommodate the losses.
Written by David Loran Jr
Sources:
NBC 5 Chicago: Illinois one of eight states to see population declines in 2023, U.S. Census Bureau says
Yahoo! News: Illinois’ population declined by nearly 33,000, new 2023 census figures show, even as the nation as a whole grew
The Center Square: Illinois quick hits: Population continues to decline; minimum wage increasing
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Matt Turner’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Gary Todd’s Flickr Page – Public Domain License