Jobless rate increases to 11.3% in Illinois
Joe Giovenco of Naperville knows what it's like to be on the front lines of unemployment. He's been laid off twice from different jobs in the last two years.
When that second layoff happened last November, he had two job interviews lined up.
"But they weren't as solid as I thought," Giovenco said.
So three weeks ago, Giovenco applied for unemployment benefits. And, he's among the growing jobless ranks in Illinois.
Illinois' unemployment rate rose to 11.3 percent in January, the highest in 27 years and up from 11 percent the month before, according to data released Tuesday by the Illinois Department of Employment Security. The agency said it's the highest rate since August 1983.
Illinois continues to exceed the national rate, which was 9.7 percent in January and in February. Illinois data for February will be released later this month, said IDES spokesman Greg Rivara.
The state data for January, however, shows that nearly every sector has lost jobs. About 219,700 total nonfarm jobs were lost in January, compared to January 2009. However, the numbers eked out a positive sign considering month-to-month data. Construction still lost about 900 jobs in January, compared to December 2009, but all other sectors showed gains during that one-month period.
It is common that unemployment rises after the technical end of a recession. The rate is measured by comparing the number of unemployed to the total number in the labor force.
Michael Miller, economics professor at DePaul University in Chicago, noted that any sign the economy is turning around leads some people who had been sitting out the recession to re-enter the labor market. The moment this happens, a person is added to the labor force who is unemployed, so the unemployment rate rises, Miller said.
"If there is a bright side to the data, it is that more people feel confident enough to look for work, which was not the case during the very deep recession we just finished," he said.
The numbers also have increased at Naperville-based Community Career Center, which helps the unemployed find jobs, said the center's Associate Director Kim White.
"Last week, the center had 21 new clients sign up for services, which is the most I've seen sign up in any one week since I've been with the organization (5 years)," said White. "So far this week, we've had nine new clients sign up, and I expect this trend to continue in the coming weeks and months."
In addition, the IRS said Tuesday it is offering special services to those who are unemployed or otherwise facing financial hardships. The offices will be open March 27 and three additional Saturdays to help struggling taxpayers, said spokeswoman Sue Hales.
The agency also is offering an agreement of compromise between taxpayer and the IRS to sell debt for less than the full amount owed, among other efforts. See www.irs.gov for more information.