After weeks of declines, initial unemployment claims increased by nearly 3,000 filers, going against national trends.
Earlier this week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the administration was working on setting up additional benefits for unemployment, but he didn’t say when that would be completed.
“It takes a lot of set up on an internal basis for us to move forward with that so that’s what we’ve been doing,” Pritzker said at an event announcing more COVID-19 business restrictions in Will County Tuesday.
Multiple messages were not returned seeking information from the Pritzker administration about how much unemployment has been paid, to how many people, and how much the state has borrowed so far this calendar year to cover the costs.
State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, said lawmakers will get answers, just not through in a public hearing.
“I don’t think it would be conducive to have public hearings when we’re having bicameral, bipartisan working groups and commissions meeting at this point in time to try and get to the bottom of the situation,” Kifowit said.
The increase comes as some regions of the state have struggled to keep COVID-19 positivity rates below the governor's thresholds. Regions that surpass those levels face additional restrictions, such as business capacity limits. Last week, Pritzker put new restrictions in place for the Metro East region. He ordered the restaurants and bars in Will and Kankakee Counties close for indoor service this week.
Around 25,000 new unemployment claims were filed in Illinois last week. That’s 3,000 more than were filed the week before. It comes after weekly declines of new filings from Illinois’ peak during the first stretch of Pritzker’s stay-at-home order. For the week ending April 4, the U.S. Department of Labor reported 200,940 people in Illinois filed for unemployment benefits.
Lawmakers from both parties say problems with unemployment benefits are among the top calls they get from constituents.
Earlier this month state Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, demanded the governor open up IDES offices to work through the backlog. The unemployment offices have been closed since March.
“Put the Plexiglas screens up, put a tent up and do it outside, I don’t care,” Rose said. “It’s time to help these people.”
Last week he got nine other state Senators to sign on to a letter to that effect.
Kifowit opposed that idea.
“I think that right now if the job can be done without the offices being open, I think that’s the best avenue,” Kifowit said. “Next week we’re going to hear from IDES and that question is going to be presented and discussed.”
Instead of calling for a public hearing of the committee she controls, Kifowit expects to discuss the issues during a closed working group of lawmakers and administration officials in the Restore Illinois Collaborative Commission.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security reported Thursday for the month of July in all metro areas unemployment rates increased and jobs decreased.
“As the state continues to monitor the safety of economic reopening, IDES is committed to continuing to help those who need services,” IDES Acting Director Kristin Richards said. “With the support of the Pritzker administration, the Department is prepared to support working families who continue to be affected by this pandemic.”
IDES reported nearly 500,000 fewer jobs in Illinois in July from the year before.