Economic challenges, opportunities facing the region highlight forum
9/25/2007

Western Illinois faces significant economic changes, which include a shrinking manufacturing base, a growing low-wage service sector and a demand for a skilled workforce in critical sectors.

The State of Working Illinois: Challenges and Opportunities forum is being held from 10 a.m. to noon at the Macomb City Hall Community Room, 232 E. Jackson St., on Friday, Sept. 28. It is a collaborative effort between the Workforce Investment Office of Western Illinois, the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability and the Illinois Works for the Future Campaign.

“The economic vitality of western Illinois is a priority and we look forward to hearing the details of this report and the opportunity to discuss and selectively address these concerns,” said Macomb Mayor Mick Wisslead.

In addition to bringing together key leaders, the forum will also feature information from The State of Working Illinois report, written by the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability and Northern Illinois University, which, for the first time in Illinois, tracks economic and workforce trends across regions throughout the state.

Since 2001, west-central Illinois lost a staggering 4,447 manufacturing jobs. That’s a decline of over 32 percent of all manufacturing jobs in the area.

These economic trends are not unique to western Illinois. From 1990 to 2005, Illinois lost 24.3 percent of its manufacturing jobs while three service industries - professional and business services, education and health services and the leisure and hospitality industry - registered a 37.1 percent increase. All three of these high-growth service sector jobs pay less than the jobs being replaced.

“Illinois, a large, affluent state overall, has seen its economic competitiveness erode significantly over the last 15 years,” said Ralph Martire, Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. “Based on current trends, this downward spiral is projected to continue, unless the state takes a thoughtful, bipartisan approach to economic and workforce development.”

The forum will discuss issues of education and training, job quality and workforce well-being and opportunities to work together in new ways in an effort to ensure the west-central Illinois region has skilled workers, a strong economy and thriving community. The event is made possible by the generous support of the Grand Victoria Foundation.

The forum co-sponsors include the Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois, Chief Elected Officials Consortium of Western Illinois, The Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, Illinois Works for the Future, the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability and the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law.