August 2024

CHICAGO – Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) have announced a pivotal $20 million commitment to further elevate Illinois’ position as a national leader in technology and innovation through the Venture Investment for Semiconductor Technology Advancement (VISTA) initiative. This strategic funding will strengthen Illinois’ already robust ecosystem, catalyzing

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) has announced that the unemployment rate increased +0.2 percentage point to 5.2 percent, while nonfarm payrolls increased +12,900 in July, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and released by IDES. The June revised unemployment rate was 5.0 percent, unchanged from

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA) released the following statement regarding a lawsuit filed challenging the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, which was enacted as part of the FY2025 state budget:   “This lawsuit was expected, and it’s no surprise credit card companies would do all they can to undermine this law and maintain their