The poverty rate in Illinois is 13.5%, with one out of ever 7.4 residents living in poverty. However, in cities such as Chicago, it’s much higher with a poverty rate of 18.6%. African-American’s are also the ones most affected, with 32.0% living below the poverty rate. Nearly 40% of all black males in Chicago ages 20-24 are out of work, and nearly 90% of black youth age 16-19 are jobless.
These figures are much higher than other major cities, and are the result of jobs being heavily centered in Chicago’s central financial district—labeled “the Loop”—and its wealthy suburbs in the north and west. In contrast, the south side and the southern suburbs, known for their concentrated poverty and racial segregation, have much fewer job opportunities. For instance, communities in the city’s north side have between 10,362 and 31,427 jobs, while no area below the south side neighborhood of Hyde Park has more than 6,692 jobs. Thirteen of the 25 community areas in the south have less than 3,000 jobs each.