Politics

/

ArcaMax

Editorial: Want a low-stress job with lots of time off? The state of Illinois says it wants to recruit you

The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune on

Published in Op Eds

The state of Illinois is seeking employees who don’t want a 40-hour workweek.

A cringey commercial you may have seen recently boasts that working for the state can mean five weeks off in your first year on the job, with flexible hours, a hybrid setup and good work-life balance, all while enjoying a 37.5-hour workweek.

This sounds like a sweet deal. Also one unavailable in most other full-time careers.

We know of course that some state workers toil long and hard at their jobs. Still, the state’s clueless ad leans into the worst critiques and caricatures of government work, maybe in an effort to appeal to a post-COVID-19 workforce that resents being called back to the office.

“What do you want from your career?” asks a voice at the start of the commercial. The faux potential recruits don’t then talk about their ambition or their desire to serve or to make Illinois better.

They talk about how much time off they want. Seriously? That’s the message?

We don’t take issue with people earning fair wages, getting breaks and having good benefits, but the commercial is tone-deaf. And it’s hard not to be miffed when you consider how state worker benefits compare with those the people paying taxes are getting.

 

An open administrative role for the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity pays up to $126,000 per year, and an open nurse position posted online in Elgin pays up to $102,000. State workers also retire with better benefits than the average Illinoisan.

The maximum annual Social Security benefit for those in the private sector retiring at 62 for 2023 was just $30,864, while the average starting pension for career workers participating in the State Employees’ Retirement System is $52,920 (many state workers also get Social Security for private work, and some have retired as early as 55).

Sure, it’s just a commercial. But as the state looks to lure more employees, it’s worth noting that the Illinois government added 15,600 jobs, among the highest gains of any industry statewide, from December 2023 to December 2024, according to an Illinois Policy Institute analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Only the private education and health services sector (26,600-plus jobs) and local government (16,000-plus jobs) outpaced state government hiring.

Really great careers and really great benefits sound fantastic, but remember that unemployment in Illinois is 5.2%, the third-highest in the U.S. Without robust private-sector growth, it’s incredibly hard to justify a growing, highly compensated public sector. The rest of us pay for those great benefits, and most of us full-timers are clocking more than 37.5 hours a week.

Branding state work as an easy, cushy gig strikes a bitter chord with taxpayers, and it won’t do Springfield any favors with the people who foot the bill.

_____


©2025 Chicago Tribune. Visit chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

 

Comments

blog comments powered by Disqus

 

Related Channels

ACLU

ACLU

By The ACLU
Amy Goodman

Amy Goodman

By Amy Goodman
Armstrong Williams

Armstrong Williams

By Armstrong Williams
Austin Bay

Austin Bay

By Austin Bay
Ben Shapiro

Ben Shapiro

By Ben Shapiro
Betsy McCaughey

Betsy McCaughey

By Betsy McCaughey
Bill Press

Bill Press

By Bill Press
Bonnie Jean Feldkamp

Bonnie Jean Feldkamp

By Bonnie Jean Feldkamp
Cal Thomas

Cal Thomas

By Cal Thomas
Christine Flowers

Christine Flowers

By Christine Flowers
Clarence Page

Clarence Page

By Clarence Page
Danny Tyree

Danny Tyree

By Danny Tyree
David Harsanyi

David Harsanyi

By David Harsanyi
Debra Saunders

Debra Saunders

By Debra Saunders
Dennis Prager

Dennis Prager

By Dennis Prager
Dick Polman

Dick Polman

By Dick Polman
Erick Erickson

Erick Erickson

By Erick Erickson
Froma Harrop

Froma Harrop

By Froma Harrop
Jacob Sullum

Jacob Sullum

By Jacob Sullum
Jamie Stiehm

Jamie Stiehm

By Jamie Stiehm
Jeff Robbins

Jeff Robbins

By Jeff Robbins
Jessica Johnson

Jessica Johnson

By Jessica Johnson
Jim Hightower

Jim Hightower

By Jim Hightower
Joe Conason

Joe Conason

By Joe Conason
Joe Guzzardi

Joe Guzzardi

By Joe Guzzardi
John Micek

John Micek

By John Micek
John Stossel

John Stossel

By John Stossel
Josh Hammer

Josh Hammer

By Josh Hammer
Judge Andrew Napolitano

Judge Andrew Napolitano

By Judge Andrew P. Napolitano
Laura Hollis

Laura Hollis

By Laura Hollis
Marc Munroe Dion

Marc Munroe Dion

By Marc Munroe Dion
Michael Barone

Michael Barone

By Michael Barone
Michael Reagan

Michael Reagan

By Michael Reagan
Mona Charen

Mona Charen

By Mona Charen
Oliver North and David L. Goetsch

Oliver North and David L. Goetsch

By Oliver North and David L. Goetsch
R. Emmett Tyrrell

R. Emmett Tyrrell

By R. Emmett Tyrrell
Rachel Marsden

Rachel Marsden

By Rachel Marsden
Rich Lowry

Rich Lowry

By Rich Lowry
Robert B. Reich

Robert B. Reich

By Robert B. Reich
Ruben Navarrett Jr

Ruben Navarrett Jr

By Ruben Navarrett Jr.
Ruth Marcus

Ruth Marcus

By Ruth Marcus
S.E. Cupp

S.E. Cupp

By S.E. Cupp
Salena Zito

Salena Zito

By Salena Zito
Star Parker

Star Parker

By Star Parker
Stephen Moore

Stephen Moore

By Stephen Moore
Susan Estrich

Susan Estrich

By Susan Estrich
Ted Rall

Ted Rall

By Ted Rall
Terence P. Jeffrey

Terence P. Jeffrey

By Terence P. Jeffrey
Tim Graham

Tim Graham

By Tim Graham
Tom Purcell

Tom Purcell

By Tom Purcell
Veronique de Rugy

Veronique de Rugy

By Veronique de Rugy
Victor Joecks

Victor Joecks

By Victor Joecks
Wayne Allyn Root

Wayne Allyn Root

By Wayne Allyn Root

Comics

Bill Bramhall Mike Luckovich Taylor Jones Kevin Siers Lee Judge Rick McKee