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.
Watch CBS News
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.
The White Sox broke through against Michael King (3-2) in the sixth and then chased the Padres' top starter in the seventh.
Habitat for Humanity and By the Hand Club for Kids broke ground on the project last spring.
The airline ran out of cash, failed to secure a $500 million federal bailout, and felt the pressure of surging fuel prices.
The Cubs had not won 10 in a row at home since they had 14 straight victories at Wrigley from May 18-June 22, 2008.
The victim was a passenger on the bus when six male suspects surrounded the victim, took his property, and punched him in the face multiple times in the face before leaving the bus.
Elmwood Park, Center Cass, Oak Lawn Hometown, and Atwood Heights are among the Illinois districts being investigated by the Justice Department over classroom instruction on gender and sexuality.
Negotiations over a $500 million dollar government aid package for Spirit stalled after bondholders balked at the terms.
The longest shutdown of a federal department in U.S. history came to an end on Thursday when President Trump signed a bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security following a breakthrough on Capitol Hill.
The Coast Guard will run out of funding to pay personnel on May 1, with the first missed paychecks expected May 15.
Illinois lawmakers are not planning to pursue a constitutional amendment on redistricting after a key U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Wednesday.
According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in Chicago was $5.17 on Friday, up from $3.75 a year ago.
Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas Company customers are likely to see minor credits on their bills for the next three years, thanks to a $125 million settlement agreement announced Thursday by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
Chicago gas prices are spiking as the war with Iran drags on, with regular gas nearing $6 in some spots and premium already selling for more than $7 in some places.
In the legal venue of anti-trust enforcement, the state is not taking on the Trump administration, but rather filling a void that state officials say the Trump administration has vacated.
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.
The second-largest physicians' group in the U.S. has issued a surprising switch in breast cancer screening recommendations.
A new $48 million wellness center opened Thursday in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. The goal is to improve the health and quality of life for people on the West Side of Chicago.
La Rabida Children's Hospital went all out for Earth Day on Wednesday, with volunteer cleanup efforts by staffers and activities for patients and families.
It has been several weeks since West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, Illinois, abruptly shut down — and then on Wednesday, it just as swiftly partially reopened, with some services available.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 80% of deaths related to pregnancy are preventable, and Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
Thousands of people marched from the West Loop to Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago on Friday for May Day, with activists calling for workers' rights, stronger labor protections, and increased school funding.
A $170 million-plus plan announced this week will redevelop the Water Tower Place mall on the Magnificent Mile.
The Holiday Club in Chicago's Buena Park neighborhood will soon be going out of business, as the building that houses the popular bar is set to be torn down.
At a meeting on Tuesday, the Lincolnwood Village Board approved a pre-development agreement with the mall, providing a roadmap with the property owner for further preparations and government approvals for redevelopment.
The only remaining location of Pal Joey's pizzeria in Batavia, Illinois, will soon be going out of business, its owner announced this week.
David Allan Coe also had hits with "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" and "The Ride" among others.
Some youngsters got a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of making opera Sunday at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Matt DeCaro, an actor who was a familiar face on the Chicago stage for many years, died this weekend.
Jake was at the funeral for one of his closest friends when he learned of his parents' deaths, he said.
Tickets for the 2026 Ravinia Festival season went on sale Thursday morning.
The victim suffered trauma to the body and was taken to Mt. Sinai, where he was pronounced dead.
Breezy southwest winds Sunday, helping push highs into the 60s. Meteorologist Laura Bannon has the latest.
PAWS Chicago picked up the 25 dogs after Ridglan Farms agreed to surrender its state breeding license to avoid animal cruelty violations.
More than 300 people teamed up to help clean up and restore Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood.
They spent Saturday putting the final touches on the homes, focusing on painting, flooring, cabinetry, and landscaping.
The airline ran out of cash, failed to secure a $500 million federal bailout, and felt the pressure of surging fuel prices.
Chicago police said that during the argument, the driver drove onto the curb, hitting the victim before leaving the scene early Saturday morning.
Habitat for Humanity and By the Hand Club for Kids broke ground on the project last spring.
The victim was a passenger on the bus when six male suspects surrounded the victim, took his property, and punched him in the face multiple times in the face before leaving the bus.
Ford Motor Company is recalling over 179,000 vehicles due to a front seat issue that can increase the risk of injury in a crash, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.
More than four months after a Chicago woman battling ALS was told she couldn't get a disabled parking placard in front of her home, the sign is up and her life is about to change.
An elderly woman has essentially abandoned her home of three decades because of constantly broken elevators at her high-rise condo building on the Southwest Side of Chicago.
Violent retail crime is on the rise in Illinois, according to a new report from the Illinois Organized Retail Crime Association.
A top administrator in the Libertyville school district has been placed on leave after a fiery school board meeting focused on how the district handled allegations of grooming leveled against a former teacher.
Potholes along one stretch of road in Chicago's Pullman neighborhood are so bad, people say they damage their cars just getting to work.
The White Sox broke through against Michael King (3-2) in the sixth and then chased the Padres' top starter in the seventh.
The Cubs had not won 10 in a row at home since they had 14 straight victories at Wrigley from May 18-June 22, 2008.
Munetaka Murakami hit his majors-leading 13th homer of the season to highlight a six-run second inning, Colson Montgomery added his ninth home run, and the Chicago White Sox beat the San Diego Padres 8-2 for their fourth straight win.
Michael Busch had two hits and two RBIs, helping Colin Rea and the Chicago Cubs top the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5.
The Kentucky Derby saw a field of 18 horses Saturday in the first leg of the 2026 competition for horse racing's Triple Crown.
Chief Geoff Guttschow, who has an autistic child who drives, says the Blue Envelope Program gives officers a tool to recognize when a driver may need additional communication support.
A woman has been charged with shooting a 15-year-old boy outside an indoor track facility near Gately Park in Chicago in 2024, after getting into a fight with another woman during a back-to-school event in the Pullman neighborhood.
Sexual abuse charges were filed this week against a Park City, Illinois, police officer.
Attorneys for the man convicted of the murders of two girls in Delphi, Indiana, have filed a new brief with the Indiana Court of Appeals to overturn his case.
Attorneys for a woman convicted of killing her 69-year-old landlord in Chicago's Arcadia Terrace community have filed an appeal.
