For Ill. Voters, It's Unemployment, Stupid
— -- For Illinois Voters, It's the Unemployment, Stupid Barack Obama's Home State Grapples With High Unemployment Rates
Let's be honest. Few people —if anyone — expect the blue state of Illinois to be clocked in the red or even purple column this November, primarily because Barack Obama , its new favorite son and senator, is running for the Oval Office and enjoys great popularity in his home state.
And while Barack may easily capture the land of Lincoln's 21 electoral votes, there is one issue with which the state is grappling that could be the deciding factor in voters' minds — unemployment. At a current rate of 7.2 percent, Illinois' unemployment rate rose from July to August and is at its highest level since June 1992, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Those stats far outpace national numbers and the battle for jobs in the Prairie State has ignited an entrepreneurial spirit in some residents. They've decided to open their own small businesses to support their families.
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