ESears received about $20 million in Edge credits from Illinois in 2016, the first year it could collect. Sears moved jobs from other states to Illinois to meet the Edge agreement, Riefs said.
Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod said that despite the job losses at Sears, he believes the company will turn around.
"Anytime you lose jobs, you're concerned," McLeod said. "This is a company that's in it for the long haul and they intend to keep Sears viable. But this is the way it is. They have a chance to turn around and we're banking on that."