Workers, Illinois Lawmakers Take Issue With Continued Problems With Unemployment Computer System
Since day one, we have been pushing for answers about the State of Illinois' overwhelmed computer system.
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Since day one, we have been pushing for answers about the State of Illinois' overwhelmed computer system.
"So many families are hurting at a scale that this country hasn't seen ever in our lifetime, and our state unemployment filing systems – which were built a decade ago for a much lower number of claims – simply haven't kept pace," Pritzker said Monday at his daily COVID-19 briefing.
Millions of Americans and thousands of Chicagoans are out of work, so where do they turn now?
More than 200,000 people filed first-time unemployment claims in Illinois this week, breaking the record set last week. All those claims in the system also complicates what matters for people already approved.
"Almost no state has this available to them because you have to build a system. It's not something you add on to existing systems."
The streets outside Skills for Chicagoland's future are about as empty as the downtown office itself, but don't let the empty chairs fool you.
For many unemployed workers across the state, help is not coming easy. CBS 2 has been getting email from viewers who say they have been spending hours online or on the phone with no results.
CBS 2 continues to track issues with the state's unemployment system, which is still overwhelmed by requests amid the coronavirus crash.
Some businesses are having massive layoffs and may never reopen as the statewide stay-at-home order keeps non-essential businesses closed.
Millions of small businesses are expected to apply for these desperately needed rescue loans from the $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program, which was put in place to help them retain workers and pay bills during the coronavirus pandemic.
Small businesses struggling through the lockdown can start getting help from the federal government Friday.
With a glitching system and calls that are never answered getting in the way for those trying to file for unemployment in Illinois, one woman said she has been stuck waiting not for days, but for weeks.
CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov on Thursday examined the growing frustration from some people trying to get help amid surging unemployment.
Just last month, the U.S. Department of Labor warned that Illinois was one of a handful of states that would not be able to handle a surge of unemployment claims on its own.
There were 178,133 unemployment claims filed during the week of March 23 in the state of Illinois.
"The key thing here is no one should lose their home whether it's a small time owner-occupied property, we don't want that property owner to lose their home. But we don't want the tenants to lose their homes either."
"We've asked people to stagger their application processes, their calls, as well as their online applications, because frankly the systems weren't built, nor was the staffing built to withstand this kind of onslaught," Gov. JB Pritzker said.
In the first three weeks of March alone, there have been over 130,000 unemployment benefit claims in Illinois - with so many people out of work and needing money the state is having trouble keeping up.
Illinois small businesses are adapting to delivery and online sales just to stay alive, but will customers even find them? Students at the University of Chicago have rushed to the challenge.
The math is staggering – according to the U.S. Department of Labor, there were 114,663 unemployment claims in Illinois alone last week amid the coronavirus crisis.
"I think most people understand that its pretty congested right now. So I'm being patient."
There were 114,663 unemployment claims in Illinois for the week that ended March 21, up more than 10 times for the week prior, when there were 10,870 jobless claims in the state.
Roughly 3.3 million people filed a claim for jobless aid in the week ending March 21, a nearly fivefold increase over the previous record in 1982.
Two people were injured early Sunday in a shooting on the Bishop Ford Freeway alongside Chicago's Pullman community.
First responders rescued a horse from an overflowing creek near Marengo, Illinois, northwest of Chicago this weekend.
A man riding a bike was killed early Sunday morning when a sport-utility vehicle hit him on Chicago's Southwest Side.
A man was found shot to death in the South Austin neighborhood on Chicago's West Side early Sunday.
A U.S. crew member who went missing when an F-15E fighter jet was shot down over a remote area of Iran has been rescued by U.S. forces.
A U.S. crew member who went missing when an F-15E fighter jet was shot down over a remote area of Iran has been rescued by U.S. forces.
President Trump ordered the Department of Homeland Security to find a way to pay "each and every employee" of the agency.
The Illinois Accountability Commission is asking the federal officials who ran Operation Midway Blitz to testify at two hearings on federal agents' tactics during last year's immigration crackdown in Chicago.
Officials from 23 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit seeking to block President Trump's executive order that aims to restrict mail voting.
A federal judge on Friday rejected efforts by the Justice Department to revive two subpoenas it served to the Federal Reserve.
A passenger on an American Airlines flight from New York to Chicago has been charged with making a false bomb threat that forced an emergency landing at Detroit Metro Airport last month, according to a federal criminal complaint.
Skyrocketing property taxes continue to be a hot-button issue in Cook County — particularly since last fall, when many residents saw their tax bills increase by 100% or more.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias this weekend issued a warning about a surge in text messages that falsely claim to come from his office or the DMV within it.
Tenants at a South Loop luxury high-rise that has been plagued with problems like broken elevators are vowing to fight five-day eviction notices.
It's become an annual March Madness tradition at CBS Chicago, pitting our city's best eateries in direct competition in a foodie bracket challenge. We did pizza, we've done Italian beef, we've done Chicago dogs. This year, we're taking flight with wings.
Allergy season is here, and the dreaded pollen can trigger sneezing, congestion, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
Northwestern Medicine and the American Red Cross teamed up for a community blood drive in Chicago on Monday morning.
Ending domestic violence is the goal of groups and advocates all over the world, and some experts in Chicago say it is time to become less reactive and more proactive when it comes to the people causing harm.
A new Iowa law bans local nondiscrimination protections on the basis of gender identity after the state became the first in the U.S. to roll back its civil rights code last year.
Food containing norovirus may smell and taste normal but still cause serious illness if consumed, FDA warns.
The federal government is suing Illinois, Connecticut and Arizona over efforts to regulate prediction market operators such as Kalshi and Polymarket.
The owners of the popular Uncommon Ground restaurant, live music venue, and brewery in Chicago's Wrigleyville community announced this week that they're looking for a successor to take over the business.
Chicago consistently ranks in the top three cities in Fortune 500 company headquarters, and now a competition has been launched to build on Chicago's power in business.
The flagship Ann Sather restaurant on Belmont Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview community will be moving later this year, a restaurant representative said Tuesday.
Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen threw some shade at former teammate Michael Jordan in a new pop commercial.
Chicago blues legend Muddy Waters' birthday is Saturday, and in his memory his eldest son is putting on a concert in Chicago.
A federal judge in New York has tossed out actor Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims against actor Justin Baldoni over their roles in the movie "It Ends With Us," but left intact a claim for retaliation.
Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane was lured to a Dallas studio for a meeting, then allegedly kidnapped and robbed by a group including rappers Pooh Shiesty and Big30.
When Jean-Luc Godard's "Hail Mary" opened in Chicago on April 4, 1986, it drew a throng of angry protesters who considered the film an affront to their faith.
Applications are open for residents and bands who want to participate in PorchFest in Chicago's Lakeview and Roscoe Village communities this year.
Suzanne Le Mignot on Saturday night attended the inaugural FECK Awards — centered on forgiveness, empathy, compassion, and kindness — and was moved by the story of Azim Khamisa, whose son was killed in a gang initiation robbery in 1995. Meanwhile, Kylee Miller captured a rainbow in River North.
First responders rescued a horse from an overflowing creek near Marengo, Illinois, northwest of Chicago this weekend.
Meteorologist Kylee Miller has your 6 a.m. First Alert Weather forecast for Sunday, April 5, 2026.
U.S. forces rescued a missing airman after his fighter jet was shot down over a remote area in Iran this past Friday. Asal Rezaei reports.
A man riding a bike was killed early Sunday morning when a sport-utility vehicle hit him on Chicago’s Southwest Side.
A U.S. crew member who went missing when an F-15E fighter jet was shot down over a remote area of Iran has been rescued by U.S. forces.
The Illini held a tight defense against UConn and managed to shrink the Huskies' lead to 6 points with seven minutes left on the clock in the second half.
A man was found shot to death in the South Austin neighborhood on Chicago's West Side early Sunday.
A man riding a bike was killed early Sunday morning when a sport-utility vehicle hit him on Chicago's Southwest Side.
Two people were injured early Sunday in a shooting on the Bishop Ford Freeway alongside Chicago's Pullman community.
A Morgan Park family is still in shock after a staggering 300% spike in their latest property tax bill, and the man poised to take over as Cook County Assessor at the end of the year says it's an error he wants to make sure doesn't happen again.
Researchers at the University of Chicago have built a "self-driving" lab that uses robotics and artificial intelligence to accelerate work that would take humans weeks or months to complete.
Johnson said the position was temporary, but when the chief homelessness officer was first appointed, she told CBS News Chicago that her role was funded for three years, not two.
A former stand-out college football star with a criminal history has been convicted of sexually abusing foster children who were in the care of a Chicago facility at the center of a massive investigation.
Two more women have filed lawsuits against Massage Envy, accusing the company of failing to protect them against sexual assaults by two of their therapists.
After waiting 21 years to get back to the Final Four, the Illini nation wanted more.
The Illini held a tight defense against UConn and managed to shrink the Huskies' lead to 6 points with seven minutes left on the clock in the second half.
Watch parties are underway in Chicago, the suburbs, and Indianapolis with Illini fans hoping the team punches their ticket in the Championships.
Murakami's 431-foot shot to straightaway center off Brendon Little was his fourth homer and first at home since signing with the White Sox (3-5) as a free agent in December.
The New York Knicks routed the Chicago Bulls 136-96 on Friday night in a game they led by 47 points.
Two people were injured early Sunday in a shooting on the Bishop Ford Freeway alongside Chicago's Pullman community.
A man was found shot to death in the South Austin neighborhood on Chicago's West Side early Sunday.
The president of Wisconsin's largest mosque was detained by federal immigration agents, drawing accusations from local officials and religious leaders that the arrest was motivated by his statements against Israel.
Some Joliet, Illinois, residents were asked to shelter in place Thursday morning as police executed a search warrant.
A man stood charged Thursday with holding up five men at gunpoint after luring them by offering to buy anime cards on online marketplaces.
