Results tagged “unemployment”

• Pvt. Francheska Velez, one of the two area soldiers killed in the Ft. Hood shooting rampage, was laid to rest today.
• The state's unemployment rate hit a new 26-year high in October at 11 percent.
• The RTA today gave the official thumbs up to the deal struck with Gov. Quinn that would avoid another CTA fare hike.

Home foreclosures in the Chicago suburbs and outer lying counties have risen sharply in the past three months, according to the Chicago Tribune. While home foreclosures within Cook County have decreased by five percent this financial quarter, "collar counties" like Will and Kane saw an increase in filings of at least 53% when compared to last year. The Woodstock Institute, a Chicago based economic research group, attributes the increase partly to the Illinois Homeowner Protection Act and the Home Affordable Modification Program.

Last year at this time, the state's unemployment rate was 6.7 percent. As of September, the jobless rate in Illinois has already increased to 10.5 percent, after dropping slightly down to 10 percent in August, according to statistics that were released on Friday. The Illinois Department of Employment Security reported that the three-month unemployment average rose 0.1 percent to 10.3 percent, marking its highest level since December 1983. In comparison to the entire county, the U.S. jobless rate rose to 9.8 percent in September, from 9.7 percent in August, also the highest since 1983.

For the second straight month, the unemployment rate in Chicago fell even as the national rate increased from July to August. While still at rates not seen in 20+ years, the seasonally unadjusted jobless rate for the Chicago metro are in August was 9.6 percent, down from 10.7 percent in July. While the total number of unemployed people in the area was still more than 190,000 over August 2008, it's a baby step in the right direction. We hope.

The state's jobless rate is slowing down but it still inched up a bit in July over June. For July, Illinois' jobless rate came in at 10.4 percent, up from 10.3 percent in June, with a total of 13,000 jobs lost. Overall, the nation actually saw the slightest decrease in the national jobless rate, from 9.5 percent in June to 9.4 percent in July. [Crain's]

"It's impossible to find a job in this town." We've heard that over and over again from friends and family who have lost their jobs in this economic downturn (and not just the journalism school grads, either). According to a new survey measuring job market competition put together by job site Indeed.com (via TechCrunch), Chicago is one of the worst cities in America when it comes to getting a new job. It's not exactly the most scientific of surveys: Indeed measured the number of unemployed people in the city versus the number of job postings on its site and BAM! you have your index. For example, Washington, D.C. is apparently the easiest place to get a job with a ratio of six job postings for each unemployed person.

• The City has awarded contracts connected to the demolition of Michael Reese Hospital to make way for the proposed Olympic Village for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
• Unemployment for the Chicago metro area is up again, hitting 11.3 percent for June.
• The battle over a helipad at the new Children's Hospital in Streeterville continues.

Chicago will be spending $34 million on job training this year, helping 11,000 people as they search for new jobs, the Chi-Town Daily News reports. Of the $34 million, federal stimulus money accounts for $18 million of the funds while the rest comes from the money Chicago gets annually for work development projects.

At the risk of beginning to sound like a broken record, the Illinois Department of Employment Security announced Thursday that the jobless rate for metro Chicago in March 2009 stood at 9.3 percent, the highest since June 1992. The area - consisting of the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet triangle - didn't have the highest rate of the entire state, either. That went to Rockford, who had a 13.5 percent unemployment rate. [Crain's]

The state's unemployment rate rose for the sixth month in a row in March, breaking nine percent, the highest in 24 years. Governor Pat Quinn announced that state unemployment benefits would be extended an additional 13 weeks for workers that had exhausted their access to unemployment insurance. Illinois currently offers 26 weeks of benefits, in addition to the 33 weeks provided by the federal government.

Mars Inc. is closing five of its six Illinois Ethel's Chocolate locations by the end of the month. Fans of Mars's haute chocolate salon will have to travel to Skokie to get their fix. [Crain's]

Even as President Obama was giving a speech last night in which he hinted the economy is beginning to show signs of life, another sign of economic struggle was seen as the state's unemployment rate jumped again. For February 2009, the state's unemployment rate came in at 8.6 percent, the highest the state has seen since December 2001. The Illinois Department of Employment Security said Tuesday that the 0.8 percent increase from January to February is the largest single-month jump in the agency's 33 year history. Overall, employers cut 37,200 workers in February, bringing the 12-month total to 206,300. Illinois' rate remains well ahead of the national average, which stands at 8.1 percent. [Tribune]

Illinois's unemployment rate nearly topped eight percent in January, according to data released this week by the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Unemployment hit 7.9 percent in January, the highest since 1993. In total, some 518,600 people are out of work statewide, a number not seen since 1985. “In such difficult times, it is important to remain positive and maximize the services the department provides,” IDES Director Maureen O’Donnell said in the statement. Manufacturing, along with business and professional services were the sectors that have been hardest hit, shedding 11,000 jobs and 7,000 jobs, respectively. While statewide unemployment is slightly higher than the national average of 7.6 percent, it's not as bad as California, where joblessness topped 10 percent last month. (Unless you include which KNX1070 AM did the other day, putting the number for Los Angeles at 20 percent.)

Screwed in this economy? Thinking about dusting off the old resume and looking for something more secure? Good news, job hunters! FedEx Office will print 25 copies of your resume for free today.

You don't have to be an economist to know it's bad out there. The national unemployment rate rose in January from 7.2 to 7.6 percent. Although the stimulus package has been signed and sealed, the odds of delivery immediately saving down-on-their-luck Americans is looking pretty slim.

• Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of two Illinois National Guardsmen who were killed in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb this weekend.
• The saga of Daniel Fore continues in Oak Park; Fore is a homeless man attempting to get his name on the ballot for village trustee.
• More bad job news, this time from the Tribune (again).

Earlier this week the White House released its fact sheet (PDF, see page 27) on the "immediate, tangible impacts" of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, Barack Obama's centerpiece legislation to address the economic crisis. Among the billions of dollars proposed to be pumped into the economy, Illinois would stand to benefit from transit and infrastructure projects, green jobs and a mix of tax credits and government benefit extensions.

At the jam session ex-governor Rod Blagojevich held at his house Thursday night after being removed from office, he said, "There are tens of thousands of people all across America, just like me who are losing their jobs or lost their jobs." Well, those people were laid off, not fired, Rod. Big difference. But this raised the interesting question of whether or not Blago is eligible for unemployment benefits. WBEZ spoke with Greg Rivara, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Employment Security, who are having enough problems these days without dealing with Blago.

We knew unemployment was skyrocketing, especially after the huge round of layoffs on Monday, but now the numbers are catching up with state's Department of Employment Security. As the state's unemployment rate has reached an almost 16-year high, the volume of people contacting the department is causing problems for the department's phone system. On Monday, 64,520 people managed to get through and on Tuesday, 57,014 were able to get through. However, with the equivalent of only 648 phone lines available, many received busy signals instead. With the rate of claimants not expected to drop any time soon, the department plans to add another 216 lines by next month to help the system avoid overloads.

Today the U.S. Department of Labor released a report showing that the national unemployment rate reached 7.2 percent in December, the highest since 1993. Illinois' unemployment was 7.3 percent in November, and the state has consistently held a higher unemployment rate than the nation's average. The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) will release a report on December's statistics on January 23. In December, IDES reported that unemployment rates were surging in all Illinois cities. They recorded unemployment in November 2008 at 6.3 percent for Chicagoland, compared with 4.6 percent in November 2007.

As the national (and state) unemployment rates continue to rise, Governor Blagojevich has announced the launching of a new state-run website, in conjunction with CareerBuilder, that will connect citizens to new job openings. Illinois workNet was launched today, with Blago billing it as, "the best place for Illinois' job seekers and businesses to connect to resources and services needed to be successful in the 21st century economy." Blago also announced state-wide "Workforce Outreach Days" intended to help prepare potential employees with career planning and training. Said the governor, via a press statement:

I know that Illinoisans are suffering. We see evidence of that everyday as families make difficult decisions about budgeting their money, how to get by while they look for a new job, or how to ensure that their children have opportunities in this tough economy. While our state cannot fix the mistakes made by those on Wall Street and in Washington, we do offer services to help families through a difficult time. During Illinois Workforce Week, I want to make sure that Illinoisans know that they can get help through services like Illinois workNet, All Kids, and LIHEAP.

Unemployment rose again through the month of August, according to a new report released by the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. The national unemployment rate is 6.1 percent, a five-year high. [AP, BLS]

The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced today that the state's unemployment rate now stands at 7.3 percent, a 15-year high. There are currently 491,300 unemployed people in Illinois, which is the most since June 1992. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 5.7, a five-year high. [IDES]

The tough economic climate in which we're currently mired is hitting everyone. CBS2 reports that rising unemployment and higher costs for food and gas is taxing food pantries throughout the area as demand begins outstripping supply.