In Illinois, the unemployment rate is 9.2 percent, while nationally the rate stands at 7.4 percent. Why is it so much higher here? Illinois has the second-highest state unemployment rate in the country. Only Nevada's 9.6 rate is higher. Illinois is a state with too many people looking for work and not enough businesses and public agencies with available jobs. Brian Battle is one of the bosses at Performance Trust, a bond trading company in Chicago. He says fewer businesses are coming or growing to Illinois in fear of rising taxes and gridlocked politics.
