Chambana Sun

Ted Dabrowski, a gubernatorial candidate for Illinois, said job creation is a key priority of his while speaking and collecting petitions at a Table Event with Young Republicans at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.

"I spent several hours with great students at U of I collecting petition signatures," said Dabrowski. "I was heartened by the positive response I received. Many students expressed concerns about the lack of job opportunities here in the state, but they were happy to learn that more jobs is one of my key priorities."

Illinois students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are entering a competitive job market while actively engaging in campus political life. As candidates visit, employment prospects remain a central concern for young voters assessing state policy agendas and economic plans that promise opportunity and growth after graduation.

According to state labor data, Illinois’ jobless rate stood at 4.4% in August 2025, down from 5.0% a year earlier, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over the year, Illinois was among the states with notable unemployment declines, reflecting a gradually improving labor picture even amid national headwinds and mixed payroll trends across regions and sectors.

Dabrowski is a Wilmette Republican and former president of Wirepoints, an Illinois-focused research outlet known for data-driven analysis on pensions, taxes, and economic policy. He previously served as vice president of policy at the Illinois Policy Institute and earlier spent over 15 years in international roles with Citibank in Mexico and Poland.