IL business formation is composed of self-employed individuals (non business employers with no employees) and employer firms. Best estimate for 2025 is that IL has 1.4M businesses. The 1.4M enterprises are a vital source of tax and other revenue for both state and local government. Per Grok

IL has steadily lost employers for more than a decade. Here is some recent data.

Granted, that there are likely a number of reasons for a firm to leave IL for another state. Here is a record of moves related to taxation.

The Chicago area is the heart of the business community of IL. In 2015, there were 54k+ businesses operating in Chicago. Today there are 44k+, a decline of 20%. Consider the implications of business and job losses on the Magnificent Mile, the showcase of retailers. A loss of 51% of business licenses over a ten year period. Watertower place, a flagship store on the Magnificant Mile, has a vacancy rate of 30%.

