Pritzker orders immediate jobs study for emerging industries in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD (Illinois News Network) — Illinois’ new governor wants to have a road map, by April, of where Illinois needs to invest to grow jobs in new industries and maybe in new locations.

Governor J.B. Pritzker said Illinois is the fifth largest economy in the country and needs to start acting like it.

He used his second full day in office to order a jobs study that will look at where Illinois is making – and should be making – investments. Which new industries will hold promise for the state. And which communities could be ready for growth.

“We’re going to make sure we got the most bang out of our buck with our workforce development dollars,” Pritzker said at a stop in the Metro East on Wednesday. “So that every part of our state is fully embracing innovative strategies that lead to good jobs for our residents.”

Off the bat, the governor said the study needs to look at green jobs, as well as jobs in health care, information technology and advanced manufacturing.

He explained just what the study will look for.

“Whether the industries that received target funds are the right industries,” the governor said. “The growth potential of a variety of industries, and whether we are coordinating our resources wisely across workforce development, adult education, employment services, and other investments.”

The study is supposed to last 90 days.

Pritzker hasn’t said what, if any, new laws would come after that.

Reporting by Benjamin Yount

The Center Square

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The Center Square -- formerly known as Watchdog.org and the Illinois News Network -- and their reporters represent 18 states across the United States as the taxpayers' watchdog, exposing the way government really works.

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