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Greater Peoria Economic Development Council CEO Chris Setti said
it’s not like 2008 or 2015, when everything got walloped at
once.
“Someone once asked what it’s like to be in economics. I said,
‘Economics is not economic development.’ It’s a completely
different discipline, but obviously connected and just trying to
understand this rolling recession,” Setti said.
Setti said workforce development is critical to economic
development.
“When you have more people who have the skills and the
credentials to get those high-paying jobs, that’s what
alleviates poverty,” Setti said.
Illinois’ unemployment rate was higher than the national average
last month, and that was before new rounds of layoffs were
announced.
Big Lots is closing more than 300 stores, including at least
nine in Illinois. Keplr Vision and Western Illinois University
announced job cuts.
“Whenever that happens, you know, it always makes things
difficult when somebody’s out of a job, even at the very micro
level,” Setti said.
Setti said the Greater Peoria EDC has helped connect the
workforce development system with the business community.
“We’ve developed some really great programming to try to
identify those gaps and then fill those gaps with programs that
help credential people in those skills,” Setti said.
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