By Andrew Thomason | Illinois Statehouse News
SPRINGFIELD — Lawmakers inked a deal that may save Illinois taxpayers $240 million and businesses $1.6 billion in federal taxes and fines over the course of the next decade.
Tag Archive | "unemployment"
Illinois: Jobs picture worsening
August 22, 2011
By Benjamin Yount | Illinois Statehouse News
SPRINGFIELD — It’s clear that finding or keeping a job in Illinois is getting tougher, but it is much less clear as to why.
Illinois’ July unemployment numbers show that the state is bleeding jobs. The state’s unemployment rate jumped from 9.1 percent in June to 9.5 percent, with Illinois losing 24,900 jobs.
Business, labor hash out payment of state’s $2.8 billion unemployment debt
March 17, 2011
By Mary Massingale Illinois Statehouse News
SPRINGFIELD — Business and labor groups are meeting to hammer out a plan to pay off the state’s $2.8 billion unemployment debt to the federal government, with both groups apparently sharing in the pain.
Few workers from Put Illinois to Work will have jobs
December 13, 2010
By Benjamin Yount Illinois Statehouse News
SPRINGFIELD – Three-quarters of the people who found work under Gov. Pat Quinn’s Put Illinois to Work program will be out of work once again next month.
Quinn’s Job Annoucements Not In Latest Jobs Report
October 21, 2010
By: Jennifer Wessner Illinois Statehouse News
SPRINGFIELD– If you listened to Gov. Pat Quinn on the stump this week, you heard him hand out over $300 million in and create almost 5,000 jobs. But those job numbers don’t add-up with the latest jobless report in Illinois.
Quinn traveled to Moline, Rochelle and Chicago this week announcing state projects, and new jobs at each stop. The money for the new projects is from Illinois’ $30 billion statewide construction plan that lawmakers approved back in 2009. The jobs from the new project appear to be scattered across the state, and across the calendar.
On Wednesday the governor announced the release of $270 million dollars to 18 school districts around the state for the new construction. Quinn said the projects would “be creating 3,700 new construction jobs to area residents.”
But many of those 18 districts said they started work on their projects months ago, and some are nearing completion.
Illinois latest jobless report shows a jump in construction jobs, but not nearly the number of jobs Quinn touted this week.
September’s job numbers show 700 new construction jobs were created last month.
Annie Thompson with Governor Pat Quinn’s office said the new jobs are not included in the September jobless report and said she doesn’t know if it will be included in the October report.
No one seems to know if the numbers by the Governor’s count are new jobs, old jobs, or current jobs.
Beth Spencer, communications director from Illinois AFL-CIO, said it doesn’t matter if the jobs were created or will be created. The important part is that people are going back to work.
“Part of the beauty of being a sitting governor is it’s your prerogative to make these announcements and it’s his pleasure and his prerogative. We’re just excited that it’s happening.”
In the manufacturing sector, Quinn announced 250 new jobs at a new rail car manufacturing facility being built in Rochelle.
Greg Baise, president of Illinois Manufacturing Association, said the timing of the job creation claims is not surprising.
“It’s not unusual for governors to make claims like that, especially 12 days before a gubernatorial election,” Baise said. “So I guess we give governor’s a little latitude with these kinds of things.”
Greg Rivara, spokesman for the IDES, said there is real improvement in Illinois.
“[The state] added 8,600 jobs in the month of September and for the year so far Illinois has added 50,700,” Rivara said. “So we’ve had some positive economic job growth in the state. At the same time the unemployment rate has gone down. The unemployment rate fell for the sixth straight month to reach 9.9 percent.”
11,800 people did lose their job in September, but Rivara said that was offset by 20,900 people finding jobs in September. Illinois’ unemployment rate is still slightly higher than the national rate, which is sitting at 9.6 percent. Thompson with the governor’s office is quick to say that Illinois has added over 50,000 new jobs over the past six months.
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