unemployment

Illinois to invest over $40 million in workforce training (Springfield, IL) - Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday that the state will award more than $40 million in workforce training grants, focusing on communities hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and youth who are particularly at risk of violence.

News briefs: Some IDES offices open for appointments; eviction moratorium amended, extended (Springfield, IL) - As federal unemployment benefits created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are set to expire next week, Illinois continues to see high unemployment rates, although things have improved from one year ago. 

Rezin: IDES report reveals 'massive failures by the Pritzker administration' - Veteran GOP state Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) is among Republican lawmakers leading the charge in calling for a performance audit of the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES).

Illinois Republicans blast Pritzker, Lightfoot for Chicago's unemployment rate (Springfield, IL) - Illinois Republicans are pointing a finger at Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot for the state’s shrinking job market.

Unprecedented unemployment deficit threatens to ‘cripple’ businesses, claimants (Springfield, IL) - Since economic shutdowns began and COVID-19 death counts started to rise in March 2020, national unemployment rates have hovered at historically high numbers, stressing state unemployment systems left dealing with an unprecedented number of claims.

Illinois economy surges in first quarter (Springfield, IL) - The Illinois economy showed strong signs of recovery during the first quarter of 2021 as businesses continued to reopen from the pandemic and direct government payments flowed to businesses and individual consumers.