Originally published on chicagobusiness.com 4/11/23

Small businesses across Illinois continue to face challenges hiring and retaining a ready workforce. While a recent poll from Small Business Majority revealed that 66% of our state’s small-business owners are likely to hire employees over the next several months, more than half feel challenged when seeking quality candidates.

At the same time, Illinois is home to a pool of individuals that are trapped behind a wall of barriers to gainful employment. An estimated 2.2 million Illinoisans — disproportionately Black and Brown individuals — have arrest or conviction records, which create issues that impede eligibility for employment and entrepreneurship. Even for those who qualify for sealing or expungement, challenges persist. Ninety percent of eligible Illinoisans remain in the “second-chance gap,” unable to complete the record relief process due to the extraordinary time and resources required.


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Originally published on chicagobusiness.com 4/11/23 Small businesses across Illinois continue to face challenges hiring and retaining a ready workforce. While a recent poll from Small Business Majority revealed that 66% of our state’s small-business owners are likely to hire employees over the next several months, more than half feel challenged when seeking quality candidates. At the same time, Illinois is home to a pool of individuals that are trapped behind a wall of barriers to gainful employment. An estimated 2.2 million Illinoisans — disproportionately Black and Brown individuals — have arrest or conviction records, which create issues that impede eligibility for employment and entrepreneurship. Even for those who qualify for sealing or expungement, challenges persist. Ninety percent of eligible Illinoisans remain in the “second-chance gap,” unable to complete the record relief process due to the extraordinary time and resources required. Read More





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