Over the last ten years, Illinois has lost more jobs than it has gained and currently lags other U.S. states in job growth. Simultaneously, automation is transforming labor markets in a way that presents unique challenges for business leaders, policymakers, nonprofits, and individual workers. Recent research by the McKinsey Global Institute and others outlines the challenges associated with automation, the future of work, and potential solutions.
Illinois has had difficulty balancing the budget in the past and ranks lower than other U.S. states on measures such as short-term fiscal stability, as calculated by U.S. News & World Report. Looking at long-term fiscal stability, Illinois currently has one of the largest unfunded pension liabilities in the country. McKinsey’s global research on public finance and tax authorities tracks the role of innovation in improving efficiency and financial stability.
Illinois spends a great deal of its budget on healthcare, but ranks 37th out of 50 U.S. states in quality of care, according to U.S. News & World Report. Opportunities exist to improve care and other outcomes, particularly in areas such as behavioral health and opioid use disorder. McKinsey research suggests that addressing the opioid epidemic requires bold, collaborative actions by healthcare, business, and government leaders.
The prevention of crime has clear economic and social benefits. Residents feel secure and free to be productive. Businesses are more likely to invest in safe communities, which tourists are more likely to visit. According to the Disaster Center, Illinois’s crime rate per capita has increased by 18 percent in the past two years, translating to an average of 152 violent crimes a day in 2016. Of Illinois residents incarcerated today, most will return to their community, but one in two will return to prison within five years of their release, according to the Illinois State Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform. Our research and client work suggests that just as crime is changing, so must society’s approach to public safety, effective policing, corrections, and criminal justice reform.
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