How dependent is Illinois on federal funds?

(WTVO) — As the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) work to shrink the size of federal spending, Illinois residents may wonder: how dependent is the state on federal funds?

WalletHub conducted a study that found that overall, Illinois ranked 43rd out of 50 states, with residents’ dependency ranked 48th and state government ranked 32nd.

The study found Alaska as the most federally dependent state, with 50% of the state’s revenue coming from federal funding, and New Jersey the least dependent.

According to Gov. JB Pritzker’s office, there are around 81,300 federal employees in Illinois, with a federal civilian workforce of 44,784, as of March 2024.

DOGE has warned federal agencies to prepare for large-scale layoffs and prioritize offices for closure with functions that are not required by statute or law.

The agency expects to save more than $2.4 million a year by closing additional federal facilities in Illinois, in Chicago, Hoffman Estates, Rock Island, Champaign, Springfield, Rockford, and O’Fallon.

An executive order cut funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) resulted in the Illinois Department of Agriculture announcing it would shutter the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program and the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure programs.

The Biden-era programs were created to support local farmers and feed families during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the funding continued after the pandemic ended.