State of Illinois

Local State of Illinois

Pritzker: Changes to stay-at-home order coming, but ‘normal’ a long way away

‘Mass opening’ of businesses not coming May 1, he says By JERRY NOWICKICapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Changes are coming to the stay-at-home order, Gov. JB Pritzker said again at his daily COVID-19 briefing Tuesday in Chicago, but it is unclear what they are and when they will happen. More […]

Local State of Illinois

House Republicans call for beefing up state’s unemployment system

Pritzker says agency is coping with unprecedented number of jobless claims By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois House Republicans on Monday called on Gov. JB Pritzker to do more to handle the unprecedented volume of new claims for unemployment benefits coming into the Illinois Department of Employment Security, […]

Local State of Illinois

Another 200,000 Illinoisans file for unemployment claims

Economists forecast potential major hit on state’s economy revenues By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – More than half a million Illinois workers have filed first-time unemployment claims in the four weeks since the COVID-19 outbreak first hit the labor market. Economists at the University of Illinois are now forecasting […]

Local State of Illinois

Unemployment continues to soar amid COVID-19 outbreak

Nearly 300,000 Illinoisans filed first-time claims in past two weeks By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – First-time unemployment claims skyrocketed again in Illinois and throughout the nation in the last week of March as businesses closed their doors or scaled back operations in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. […]

Local State of Illinois

Illinois Department of Employment Security utilizes new alphabetized benefit schedule

Designated times set to handle overwhelming surge in unemployment claims By REBECCA ANZELCapitol News Illinoisranzel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois department tasked with overseeing unemployment benefits is employing an alphabetized schedule to handle “an unprecedented volume” of claims. Claims now must be filed online and by phone on days and at […]

Local State of Illinois

State, national unemployment spikes amid COVID-19 outbreak

More than 114,000 Illinoisans file new claims in one week By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — More than 114,000 workers in Illinois filed first-time unemployment claims in the week ending March 21 as the United States saw its biggest one-week spike in recorded history. 3.2 million workers filing for […]

Local State of Illinois

Local governments call for increase in state revenue sharing

By JERRY NOWICKICapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A local government advocacy group laid out its legislative agenda Monday and called on lawmakers to fully fund a program that shares state income tax revenue with local municipalities.  The Illinois Municipal League’s “Moving Cities Forward” agenda also includes efforts to: protect local […]