Public Act 96-1498
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."
Gov. Pat Quinn took office on January 29, 2009, in the midst of the Great Recession, a worldwide economic downturn that proved to be the worst recession since the Great Depression. Following a catastrophic financial collapse and and a nationwide housing crisis, Illinois’ unemployment rate reached 11.2% at the height of the Great Recession.
By the time Gov. Quinn left office in January 2015, Illinois had made a significant economic comeback with job creation up and unemployment down across the state. Illinois’ unemployment rate dropped to its lowest level since before the Great Recession (6% in January 2015), and unemployment rates fell in every region of the state month after month. Nearly 300,000 private sector jobs were created after the end of the Great Recession, and Illinois’ average wages were eighth-highest in the country, outranking every midwestern state.
View the Governor’s Office Press Release of Quinn Announcing Illinois’ Economy Driving Forward into 2015.
View the Governor’s Office Press Release of Quinn Announcing Illinois’ Unemployment Rate Hits New Low.
Gov. Quinn’s programs to help Illinois workers find and keep good-paying jobs started with saving Illinois auto manufacturers and their suppliers who were in dire straits at the beginning of 2009.
The job total at Chrysler’s Belvidere plant went from 200 employees to 4,500 during Gov. Quinn’s time in office. Over the same period at Ford’s plant on the South Side of Chicago, operations grew from one shift and 1,600 workers in 2009 to three shifts and 5,100 workers. Auto suppliers such as Continental Tire greatly benefitted.
View the Governor’s Office Press Release of Quinn Announcing Chrysler Increasing Production at Belvidere Plant to Build Next Generation of Vehicles.
View the Governor’s Office Press Release of Quinn Opening Railroad Spur to Mount Vernon's Continental Tire.
View the Governor’s Office Press Release of Quinn Announcing Continental Tires the Americas Investing $224 Million to Expand Illinois Facility.
Gov. Quinn worked in tandem (Public Act 96-1498) with President Barack Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to put people back to work and Gov. Quinn launched Put Illinois to Work.
View the Governor’s Office Press Release of Quinn Announcing New ‘Put Illinois to Work’ Employment Program.
View The New York Times' "A New Jobs Initiative Gains Converts".
View The New York Times' "A Jobs Program That Works".
View The New York Times' "A Program’s Legacy in Jobs and Lives".
View The New York Times' "Federal Job Subsidies Provide a Stimulus to the Private Sector".
With a few months of taking the oath of office, Gov. Quinn won passage and signed Illinois Jobs Now!, a $31 billion capital construction initiative which was the largest infrastructure investment in state history, putting hundreds of thousands of people back to work.
Gov. Quinn supported Illinois’ growing technology sector by investing in technology hubs like 1871 and MATTER in the Merchandise Mart and the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute and the UI Labs.
Gov. Quinn recruited new businesses to locate in Illinois, including Amazon fulfillment centers and Lagunitas Brewing. In 2014, Illinois was ranked third in the country for new and expanded corporate facilities.
View the Governor’s Office Press Release on Senator Durbin and Amazon Announcing 1,000 Full-Time Jobs in Illinois .
View the Governor’s Office Press Release of Quinn Announcing Illinois Ranks #3 in Nation for Business Development.
Gov. Quinn signed numerous export agreements and made transportation investments to help Illinois’ agricultural economy, which comprises 40% of the state’s economy.
View the Governor’s Office Press Release of Quinn Working to Increase Illinois Agricultural Exports During Trade Mission to Mexico.
View the Governor’s Office Press Release of Mexican Delegation Signing Letter Of Intent To Purchase Illinois Grain.
View the Governor’s Office Press Release of Quinn Announcing Agreements to Strengthen Partnership, Investment Between Illinois and Mexico.
View the Governor’s Office Press Release of Quinn Welcoming Chinese Delegation, Announces Global Business Agreements.
The intermodal facility that was built near Joliet became the largest inland port in North America.
Gov. Quinn helped lead Illinois to record tourism numbers for several consecutive years.
View the Governor’s Office Press Release of Quinn Announcing Record-Breaking Visitors to Illinois in 2013 .
Gov. Quinn was major supporter of Illinois’ film industry, investing in the repurposing of the Ryerson Steel Factory into Cinespace Chicago Film Studios, the largest soundstage in the U. S. outside of Hollywood. From 2009 to 2014, Illinois’ film industry drove more than $1.2 billion in economic growth, including about $600 million in wages for Illinois workers.
View the Governor’s Office Press Release of Quinn Celebrating New Film and TV Studio in Chicago.
View the Governor’s Office Press Release of Quinn Announcing Record $358 Million Year for Film Industry.
View the Governor’s Office Press Release of Quinn Welcoming New Fox TV Production to Illinois.
Gov. Quinn took action and made investments in helping existing Illinois businesses grow and add jobs.
View the Governor’s Office Press Release of Quinn Announcing Illinois to Receive More Than $26 Million Award to Support Small Businesses.