As the state, like the rest of the nation, continues to recover from a quick but powerful downturn at the start of the pandemic, Chicago — the state’s economic engine — once again plays a role in those higher unemployment numbers as the tourism and the hospitality industry struggle to bounce back, says Dan Black, a labor economist and professor at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy.
Illinois has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Here’s why.
