Illinois shed jobs for a second straight month at the end of 2025, the sharpest pullback since the post-pandemic rebound began, even as Chicago’s job market proved more resilient.

Changes are affecting how workers apply for jobs and how employers interact with applicants.

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Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Kara Dennison writes about careers, leadership, and the job market. In the 2025 job market, hiring slowed as employers became more ...

For as long as it’s been alive, Chicago’s employer head tax has been derided — in one colorful way or another — as a job killer. “It’s much more than a head tax… it’s a scalping tax,” said the late ...