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By Kevin Lee 217-528-9604

SPRINGFIELD  –  Detailed unemployment numbers released by the state Thursday indicate the national recession is still troubling the state’s cities.

Statistics from the Illinois Department of Employment Security indicate the unemployment rate for the state’s 12 largest metropolitan areas are all higher than they were a year ago.

The metropolitan areas include Chicago, the Quad-Cities, Peoria, Springfield, and the St. Louis area in Illinois.

The Rockford metro area saw an unemployment rate of 16 percent in Dec. 2009 as compared to 12.6 percent the year before.

Public employees in the Rockford area have been vulnerable too.

Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen said his county has reduced its workforce by about 200 employees over the last 18 months through a combination of layoffs and retirements.

He added that his departments have had to make some difficult decisions.

“They’ve done one of three things – they’ve furloughed, they’ve cut hours, or they’ve laid off,” Christiansen said.

Businesses in smaller communities are feeling the pinch as well.

Mike Nobis, president and co-owner of a commercial printing company in Quincy, Illinois, said he hasn’t had to cut any of his 38 employees yet.

But he’s had to reduce hours for most of his workers.

“I would say (it was) about three-quarters of them. All of our hourly employees we have had cut back to 32 hours,” he said.

Temporary employment help could come from the federal government.

Every ten years, the U.S. Census Bureau tries to record the entire U.S. population. One of the ways the national government uses this information is to determine how many members of Congress each state is allocated.

The bureau is seeking 100,000 temporary recruits in Illinois and has hired about half so far, according to regional recruiter Jennifer Scaicca.

Scaicca said a temporary job with the bureau could help with prospects.

“They’re going to have the opportunity to gain customer-service skills…Depending on the opportunity they will receive a wide-range of skill sets that will look good on their next resume,” she said.

Nobis is hoping the recession ends and more people get employed soon.

“I just need customers to come in and buy. It’s very simple. All of our local businesses, it makes no difference what it is they sell, if it’s retail or wholesale, whatever. We just need the customers to come in and they’re not coming in because they don’t have the money,” he said.

By Kevin Lee 217-528-9604

SPRINGFIELD  –  The latest jobless numbers released by the state indicate the recession shows no sign of slowing down.

December’s local jobless report from the Illinois Department of Employment Security indicate the unemployment rate for a dozen metropolitan areas are all higher than they were a year ago.

The state’s numbers show the Rockford metro area had a 16-percent jobless rate, the highest out of the twelve metro areas.

It’s not just private sector workers who are suffering; public employees in the Rockford area have been vulnerable too.

Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen says nearly all of his county workers have had to take furloughs, cut hours, or get laid off.

Mike Nobis heads a commercial printing company in Quincy.

He says he has had to cut hours for three-fourths of his workers from 40 to 32 and that some of his employees have had to take up two jobs.

The federal government is one of the few places hiring across Illinois.

Every ten years, the U.S. Census Bureau attempts to count the population of the entire country.

Regional recruiter Jennifer Sciacca [SHOCK-uh] says the counting effort in Illinois will take about 100-thousand temporary workers across the state.

SHOCK-uh says the bureau has been recruiting since last November and need about 50-thousand more recruits.

Temporary employees could work from two to six weeks and earn a minimum hourly pay of 11-dollars-and-50-cents.

By Kevin Lee 217-528-9604

SPRINGFIELD  –  The recession is still going strong, at least according to the latest jobless numbers released by the state.

Statistics from the Illinois Department of Employment Security indicate the unemployment rate for a dozen metropolitan areas are all higher than they were a year ago.

The state’s numbers show that Rockford metro area had the highest jobless rate at 16 percent.

Public employees in the Rockford area have been vulnerable too.

Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen says his department heads have had to make tough decisions.

012810ScottChristiansen3                                    :08                                    …or they’ve laid off.”

Businesses in smaller communities are suffering too.

Mike Nobis heads a commercial printing company in Quincy. He hasn’t had to lay off any of his 38 workers, but he has had to cut hours for most of them.

012810MikeNobis1                                                :14                                                regular 40 or so.”

The U.S. Census Bureau is one of the few places hiring across the state.

The bureau has hired 50-thousand temporary workers to help count the state’s population and plans on hiring another 50-thousand.

By Kevin Lee (217)528-9604

SPRINGFIELD  –  Illinois’ economic malaise shows no sign of recovery yet, according to one statistical indicator.

The state unemployment rate rose again to 11.1 percent in December, from 10.9 percent in November, according to a report released Friday by the state.

The jobless rate is the highest in Illinois since August 1983.

Illinois Department of Employment Security spokesman Greg Rivara said high unemployment was a reflection of the national economic downturn.

“A national recession sometimes is a lot like peering across water – you know the horizon is there, you can see it, but you’re not exactly sure when you’re going to reach it. This recession feels a lot like that,” he said.

The national unemployment rate has remained at 10 percent through November and December.

State Rep. Don Moffit, R-Gilson, said unemployment tied in directly to the state’s massive budget problem.

“When people are working you’re generating state income tax and state sales tax…so continued efforts at creating jobs, lowering unemployment, need to be at the top of the agenda for the legislature and the administration [of Gov. Pat Quinn],” he said.

Moline Mayor Don Welvaert said his city’s employees have had to make sacrifices in order to avoid layoffs.

“Most of the city employees are going to be required to take three to four unpaid furlough days in 2010. That’s another one of the cost-reduction efforts we’ve had to take in order to make ends meet,” he said.

Welvaert added that Moline employees were scheduled for a salary raise this year, but have agreed to defer the raise until July 2011.

The downturn has not spared TIS Bookstore near the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, according to store manager Brian Paragi.

“We just had to cut hours last fall, which is the first time we’ve ever had to do that. I’ve been here this location for about fourteen years and the store has been here eighteen years, and I don’t think we’ve ever had to lay folks off before,” he said.

TIS had to lay off about 10 part-time workers, and is turning to 75 temporary employees to handle the influx of students returning from holiday vacation.

Illinois lost 16,300 jobs between November and December 2009. The industries hardest hit were construction; trade, transportation and utilities; and leisure and hospitality.

The state saw minor employment increases in financial activities and in the information sector.

“We really encourage people to take an honest assessment of their skill sets, to make an honest assessment of what training, what education that they can obtain to better position themselves to re-enter the workforce,” Rivara said.

IDES is scheduled to release local and county unemployment numbers next week.

By Kevin Lee (217)528-9604

SPRINGFIELD  –  Workers and employers around Illinois who are waiting for the national recession to end are going to have to wait a little longer.

The state’s unemployment rate jumped again last month to 11-point-1 percent for December.

Greg Rivara with the Illinois Department of Employment Security has a few suggestions for those seeking work.

012110GregRivara3                                                :20                                                …returns to Illinois.”

Moline Mayor Don Welaevert says his city’s employees have had to make sacrifices in order to avoid layoffs.

012110DonWelavert1                                                :20                                                …in our case.”

The state is scheduled to release local statistics on unemployment next week.