Illinois’ unemployment climbs to record 16.4%
Illinois’ unemployment has risen to a record-high rate of 16.4% as officials on Thursday gave the latest snapshot of an economy ground to a halt by the coronavirus pandemic.
That’s up from a 4.4% unemployment rate before the COVID-19 shutdown, which jumped to 14.7% last month — and it’s the highest ever reported since the state adjusted its methodologies in 1976, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
The agency announced it processed another 72,780 initial claims for unemployment benefits last week and has now received more than 1.2 million claims since the beginning of March. That’s 12 times the load it handled over the same period last year.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker called it “a tremendously disturbing problem that everybody in the country is facing” and pleaded for patience among the scores of people still complaining they can’t get through the Employment Security Department’s swamped phone and web systems.
“We have these rush of applications that come in a single day, [and] the number of people answering the phone — there’s only a certain number of people who can. . . . There’s no doubt that mistakes get made,” Pritzker said. “Please keep trying. We’ve been doing our best to expand the ability both to take phone calls, as well as online applications.”
But with lawmakers in Springfield this week considering a coronavirus relief package, Illinois Chamber of Commerce CEO Todd Maisch called on Pritzker to include the staggering jobless metrics in his fivephase regional reopening plan.
“Over 16% unemployment is its own crisis, and the unemployment statistics need to be considered on equal footing with public health metrics,” Maisch said in a statement. “The administration has assembled a team of public health officials charged with bringing down COVID-19 statistics. The administration needs to appoint a team that is every bit as committed to bringing down the unprecedented figure of 16.4% unemployment in Illinois.”
87 more deaths from COVID-19
In welcome news for Illinois restaurant owners and at least some of their 321,000plus employees who have been out of work during the two-month shutdown, the state remained on track to enter the third phase of
Pritzker’s reopening plan next week when his stay-at-home order expires May 29.
Chicago’s Northeast region again met the testing and hospitalization thresholds for an eighth straight day to advance to the next reopening stage, with Pritzker saying it’s all but guaranteed “barring some catastrophic thing that may happen in the next eight days.”
That means bars and restaurants will be able to open to outdoor service at the end of next week — though Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she doesn’t think Chicago will be ready to reopen restaurants by then.
Meanwhile, health officials announced 87 more people have died of the coronavirus in Illinois while an additional 2,268 tested positive for the virus. That raises the state’s death toll to 4,607 and the overall statewide case tally to 102,686 since the virus first hit Illinois four months ago.
The state received 29,307 test results from a day earlier, setting a new record high that Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said will continue to be key as parts of the state are gradually reopened.
“We have been talking about this novel coronavirus for months now, and we have learned a lot, but there are still unanswered questions,” Ezike said. “We have learned that people infected with the virus can spread it to others, even a few days before they start feeling sick. There are instances where people do not have any symptoms, or the symptoms are so mild that the person may not seek or need health care. However, a person who is asymptomatic can potentially still spread the virus, which is why testing is so important.”
Music fests go virtual
The pandemic might have shut down Chicago’s Blues, Gospel and House Music festivals, but the city will offer a virtual taste starting next week.
The “Millennium Park at Home” online series kicks off May 22 with YouTube performances by artists including Toronzo Cannon, DJ Jes, The Tommies Reunion Choir, Melody Angel and more.
The series kicks off May 22-23 with DJ house mix sets. On May 29-30, it’s all about gospel music, and on June 5-7, the series will feature the blues.
City officials say online programming is also in the works from the canceled Grant Park Music Festival.