Metro East Sun

A recent video by the Wall Street Journal covering the exodus of major corporations from Illinois has caught the attention of gubernatorial candidate Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Louisville).

"Businesses like Caterpillar are leaving Illinois for a reason," he said. "They are following the national trend of relocating in red states where the taxes are lower, and the business environment is better." 

Bailey said that Gov. J.B. Pritzker "refuses to talk about what is happening under his watch because his policies are the reason these companies are leaving."

"We can’t keep pretending these problems don’t exist," Bailey said. "It is time to confront them head-on. J.B. Pritzker is unwilling to do the job. It is time we had a governor who will implement the policies we know will reverse the mass exodus from our state. States like Florida and Texas have provided the blueprint to economic growth. We need a governor who will follow their lead and turn our economy around."

Boeing, the most well-known producer of aircraft, announced that it would leave the region beginning in May. In 2001, the aerospace giant, which was founded in Washington, moved to Chicago, NBC 5 Chicago reported. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the loss of over 16,000 jobs, or more than 10% of the company's employees.

Caterpillar recently announced that it's moving its corporate headquarters to Irving, Texas. According to Caterpillar's chairman and CEO Jim Umpleby, the decision was made with the company's "strategic interest" in mind, according to the Chicago Tribune. The company estimated there would be no impact on the 230 employees at the corporate headquarters.

According to Citadel Securities, security concerns were the driving force for its relocation from Chicago to Miami. 

“The firms are having difficulty recruiting top talent from across the world to Chicago given the rising and senseless violence in the city,” said Zia Ahmed, a Citadel spokesman, told The New York Times. “Talent wants to live in cities where they feel safe.”