According to the Illinois Policy Institute, an independent research organization, Illinois ranked last among the 12 Midwest states in job creation during 2014. The IPI report also revealed that the number of Illinois households receiving food stamps last year hit a record high of 1,073,279.
Citing figures from the Illinois Department of Human Services, IPI reported “The total number of Illinoisans on food stamps jumped by 37,500 in December.” The Institute’s report stated that in 2014, “An additional 60,000 Illinoisans were added to the food-stamp rolls against a mere 27,600 new jobs created in the state.”