Decatur is America’s 2nd fastest shrinking economy

Rep. Bill Mitchell - Focused on Jobs for Illinoisans 

After Governor Quinn’s State of the State Address last week, it was revealed that Illinois has 110,000 fewer jobs than when Pat Quinn became governor. The labor force has contracted and the state’s unemployment rate is nearly two points higher than the national average. Illinois is ranked dead last among all states in projected job growth for 2014.

A recent report by the U.S. Conference of Mayors ranked Decatur, Illinois as the nation’s second-fastest shrinking economy. The Decatur area’s gross metro product (GMP) fell by nearly 5% in 2013 and employment dropped by 4.2%, the worst in the nation.

State Representative Bill Mitchell  (R-Forsyth) says that this ranking shows that Decatur’s manufacturing downturn is a crisis that must be addressed at the state and local level. Read more here.

The Herald-Review Editorial: Decatur should focus on the future