Illinois is a state that embodies innovation, craft, surprise and creativity, so it is no surprise that 2.16 million international travelers visited the state in 2023. This boosted the Illinois economy by nearly $2.7 billion, a 47% increase from the previous year.

In 2023, Illinois welcomed visitors from Canada, Mexico, India, the UK, Germany and many other countries. This vast increase in international tourism shows a growing global appeal of Illinois. 

Illinois is full of attractions. The state boasts beautiful state parks including Matthiessen, Garden of the Gods and Starved Rock, attractions such as  Henson Robinson Zoo, Grady’s Park and Sea Lion Aquatic Park, and museums like the Art Institute of Chicago, The Schweikher House and Curiosity Museum.

Illinois has been named the number one leader for workforce development in the Midwest region for the second year in a row!

The Site Selection magazine ranking annually recognizes states that performed well given their employment climate, listing Illinois first for the state’s dedication toward creating high quality jobs.

Illinois' workforce development has consistently evolved in equity and innovation, including apprenticeship programs at every level and has over 400 registered apprenticeship programs for more than 20,000 active apprentices.

Under these apprenticeships, Illinois has focused seven key elements to ensure that every applicant receives high quality development with a focus on their career path including: diversity, quality and safety, supplemental education, being a paid job, industry led, able to earn credentials, and structured on-the-job learning/mentorship. With these categories in mind, Illinois has covered the essential bases for every apprenticeship to be a success story.

Workforce development programs have grown expeditiously in Illinois, focusing on access to certification programs, custom training programs, apprenticeships and sponsored college degrees.

One such program that has provided countless providers to work with is the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program, which has increased access to good-paying jobs in the trades since 2021.

Under this program, support services are also available based on the participant’s needs including mental health counseling, housing assistance, childcare, transportation assistance, and math and reading tutoring to ensure every Illinoisan is given an equal opportunity to develop and focus on their career path.

For a complete list of Pre-Apprenticeship Program Providers visit the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity website.

Looking for a great place to enjoy holiday cheer? Look no further! Last holiday season Chicago’s Christkindlmarket was ranked the third best holiday market in the U.S. in 2021 by U.S Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards. This year the market is expected to not only maintain, but exceed expectations. Established in 1996 by the German American Events, LLC, the Chicago market plays host to international and local vendors, supplying a unique array of items for all visitors. The market is located in the Daley Plaza of downtown Chicago, and the German-style outdoor market has become so popular multiple locations in Aurora and Wrigleyville have been added over the years. This year the market will run from Nov. 18 – Dec. 24, Sundays – Thursdays: a.m. – 8 p.m. and Fridays – Saturdays: 11a.m. – 9 p.m.  

History of the market goes all the way back to 16^th century Germany, where in Nuremberg the first Christkindlmarket was established. It was the first outdoor market of its kind. The Chicago market takes inspiration from Nuremberg. Every year Chicago, and its Aurora and Wrigleyville counterparts, seek to unite German and European tradition and support local and international vendors. The markets in Illinois are known for their high quality of vendor food, drinks, gifts and holiday cheer. For over 20 years now, the Chicago Christkindlmarket has been a haven for creating fun and unique family memories during the holidays.

Items that can be found at the vendors storefronts include things like Christmas ornaments from Bavarian Tradition, Belgian hot chocolate blends from Bob’s Hot Chocolate, olive wood handcrafted items like music boxes from Bethlehem Nativity, or handcrafted bags and wallets from Ecodunia. If shoppers cannot wait for the markets to open to buy these wonderful items, they can even buy them online. Illinois’ Christkindlmarkets are a staple of the holiday season in the state and they create memories that last a lifetime.

To learn more about all three Christkindlmarkets located in Illinois, and to shop from their vendors online, you can visit here.

Corn dogs, cotton candy, ferris wheels and carnival games. Nothing brings out fond memories like the smell of fried food and shouts of joy at local state fairs. The Du Quoin State Fair recently had its 100^th annual fair, with attendance levels reaching an all-time high in the fair’s history. This marks a historic occasion for the fair, having its centennial anniversary coincide with record attendance. Over 170,000 people attended the Du Quoin State Fair this year, which was a 13.5% increase from attendance in 2021. Attendance in 2021 was 150,186 people. 2022 is the third year in a row that the fair has seen a steady increase in attendance numbers. The Du Quoin State Fair is growing in notoriety, which is a welcome benefit to the residents and businesses of the city. The Du Quoin State Fair this year generated over $320,000 in profit.

In addition to games and food, the fair also had a number of live music shows. Du Quoin was host to seven concert performances, which drew in over 11,500 people. One such artist was Cole Swindell, a country artists, who had over 3,500 tickets sold for his performance. Swindell’s performance was the fourth largest attended show in the Du Quoin State Fair’s history since 2012. It was lucky Swindell’s performance was so popular, as the fair had an unfortunate last-minute cancellation from country artist Randy House this year, making the grandstand stage to sit empty for the first times in years.

Despite that hiccup, this year’s Du Quoin State Fair was still a raging success filled with plenty of fun times for families and individuals. If anyone wants to add to the growing number of attendees to this famous and enjoyable State Fair, the 2023 Du Quoin State Fair will run Aug. 25 – Sept. 4.

Illinois created more new manufacturing jobs in July than any other state, according to new data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The news came on the heels of the Illinois Department of Employment Security’s announcement last month that the statewide unemployment rate continues to drop, ending July with slightly lower unemployment than in June. Non-farm industries added more than 31,000 Illinois jobs in July, including 6,300 in manufacturing – more than any other state during the same time period.

Manufacturing is the state’s largest industry by contribution to state GDP, but also to local economies’ growth. For example, manufacturing occupations in Rock Island County, which borders the Mississippi River on Illinois’ western border, generate almost $5 billion in total annual economic output for the county through three major manufacturing subsectors: farm machinery and equipment manufacturing, fluid milk manufacturing, and meat processing.