State unemployment rate hits 15-year high

The tsunami that has battered Illinois workers for seven consecutive months continued in December.

And the wave shows no signs of diminishing.

A report released Friday by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Illinois Department of Employment Security placed the state's December unemployment rate at 7.6 percent, the highest in 15 years. The December rate reflects a .3 increase over November and exceeds the national unemployment rate reported at 7.2 percent.

Numbers tell the story. The state lost a combined 73,600 jobs in November and December. The largest two-month decline since 1990, the loss boosted the total number of unemployed Illinois residents to 505,300, the highest number in 17 years.

For deluged workers, the IDES offers assistance through its Web site at ides.state.il.us.

"The Web site is a safe, efficient and convenient way to file for unemployment insurance, obtain answers to question and explore services available to assist people in their job search," said IDES spokesman Greg Rivara.

"As congressional leaders consider a stimulus package that would invest in infrastructure and create good-paying jobs, we in Illinois are making it easy for people to obtain unemployment benefits by allowing people to apply for benefits online," Rivara said.

IDES has also extended hours for claim certification and it has staff members visit worksites to provide information and answers to the newly unemployed.