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CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov found one man who is stuck with no job and no money – and who is getting no help from the state's unemployment office.
Illinois' unemployment system continues to fail the people out of work in Illinois. CBS 2 Investigator Dorothy Tucker set out to get the answers taxpayers deserve from top managers at the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
Illinois' unemployment claims were among 778,000 total filed across the country last week.
For months as the COVID-19 pandemic has raged on, CBS 2 has been Working for Chicago with reporting that uncovers failures in the Illinois unemployment system.
For months, we've uncovered issue after issue with the state's Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, which was set upspecifically for gig workers during the pandemic.
Scammers can get your Social Security number and use it to unlock your unemployment benefits – even if you're still gainfully employed.
Illinois' estimated claims were among 742,000 total filed across the country last week.
Calls to local crisis centers are skyrocketing – as the stress of the coronavirus pandemic coupled with job loss stress drives some to a breaking point.
We've done many stories on folks out of work who can't get the benefits they should, and others on scammers – ripping off all of us by getting cash they don't deserve. On Friday, CBS 2's Tim McNicholas introduced us to a suburban woman experiencing double trouble.
An Illinois Department of Employment Security office in North Aurora has reopened to workers, after it was forced to close due to numerous COVID-19 cases.
Illinois' estimated claims were among 709,000 total filed across the country last week.
"Fifty-five percent of the small businesses right now may not reopen post-COVID."
Because of a COVID-19 outbreak at a local Illinois unemployment office, one Illinois Department of Employment Security employee said workers are dropping like flies.
On Friday night, new accusations surfaced saying the state did nothing to stop tens of thousands of dollars in unemployment fraud targeting a single small business.
Gov. JB Pritzker said the state's unemployment system is working better than before. But can it handle another spike in claims – especially when more than 100,000 people who filed over the past seven months are still waiting?
We continue to hear from people who are desperate for help, but who are just stuck waiting for a callback from the state's unemployment office – in one case for six weeks.
Nearly 2 million people have filed for unemployment in Illinois since early March, and there is no doubt that servers and bar staff are going to add to those numbers as COVID-19 indoor dining bans take effect.
There were 751,000 new claims filed across the country last week.
The report flags Illinois as one of the states having big problems with unemployment fraud, specifically stating Illinois is one of the states that could have done more earlier to verify identities.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security reported 46,948 new unemployment claims were filed across the state last week, the week of Oct. 12.
In an economy beset by pandemic-induced hardship, why is Wall Street thriving while Main Street is struggling?
Hundreds of thousands of Illinois' gig workers, contractors, or self-employed workers have applied for jobless benefits due to COVID-19. And for months, we're been hearing horror stories from applicants who say they haven't seen a dime.
There were 898,000 new claims filed across the country last week.
Spending from the first round of stimulus propped up the economy. But that money is gone, and more stimulus is unlikely in the coming weeks.
Dealing with unemployment fraud is already a major headache, but having that fraud possibly affect your credit score?
An employee inside the store was hit and pinned under the car, police said.
The Chicago Public Schools Safe Passage program now caters to 192 schools citywide and supports almost 80,000 students.
Two members of Iraq's World Cup delegation were detained at O'Hare International Airport late Friday night. One of them was sent back home.
Team owner Cherie Travis came up with the playful name, which was inspired by the city's cold winters.
Lania Smith, 18, was struck and killed on the evening of May 30 while on her way to work in south suburban Dolton.
Currently acting attorney general, Todd Blanche may face an uphill confirmation battle from some wary Republican senators.
U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin ruled in favor of a group of 20 states that challenged President Trump's new $100,000 visa fee.
Despite local hopes to rebuild Logan Correctional Center in its original Lincoln location, the Illinois Department of Corrections announced its plans to build a women's facility in Crest Hill, near Joliet.
President Trump abruptly ended an interview with NBC News when repeatedly challenged on his claims of election fraud
Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel took a three-day bike tour through New Hampshire last week and this weekend.
An Illinois law banning "swipe fees" on taxes and tips — already delayed twice by lawmakers — appears to be on life support after a federal judge that once permitted it issued a permanent injunction against it this week.
A new study from the Cook County Treasurer's office underlines growing concerns about the impact the Illinois megaprojects bill could have on the county's property tax base and overall fiscal health.
As thousands of Chicagoans wrap up road trips over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, gas prices in the city have reached the highest levels seen in four years.
Consumer and environmental advocates said Monday that they found overcharges buried in the most recent rate-hike request by Nicor.
One week away from Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of the summer travel season, with gas prices remaining high, negotiations were set to resume Monday at the largest oil refinery in the Midwest.
Dr. Peter Stafford was working with a missionary group in the Congo when he came down with the virus last month.
While 330 Ebola infections are confirmed in central Africa and huge challenges remain, hundreds more suspected cases "have been cleared out," the WHO says.
June is World Infertility Awareness Month, and Northwestern Medicine on Monday shared the story of a woman who is celebrating the birth of her second child after a tumor disrupted her fertility.
The Centennial Park Aquatic Center in the southwest Chicago suburb of Orland Park has been closed to the public after two recent cases of E. coli infection.
Menopause can feel like a major turning point for millions of women, with symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, and brain fog can make women feel like their bodies aren't their own.
Walgreens is set to close in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood on Thursday, and there's growing concern about where families will get their medications.
The owners of Gene & Georgetti steakhouse are suing a concessions operator over their expansion at Midway International Airport.
DraftKings announced Monday that it is closing its sportsbook operation at Wrigley Field after only about two years.
After more than 80 years, there will be no Ann Sather restaurant location in the 900 block of West Belmont Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview community, effective in June.
Flight attendants at Chicago-based United Airlines have approved a new labor contract, marking their first pay increases in six years.
Visitors will soon be able to check out the set from CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in Chicago, at the Museum of Broadcast Communications.
"Schmigadoon!" — which was tied for the most nominations, with 12 — won Best Musical, and "Liberation" took home the honor of Best Play at the 2026 Tony Awards.
Anthony Head played librarian and mentor Rupert Giles in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and recently appeared in "Ted Lasso."
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is on the cover of Madden NFL 27, the first Bear ever to grace the primary cover of the massively popular video game.
Peabo Bryson, a two-time Grammy-winning singer and songwriter known for Disney movie hits "Beauty and the Beast" and "A Whole New World," has died at age 75.
There are 40 games on the schedule for this inaugural season, but based on the response so far, there's a chance things could snowball into more.
Meteorologist David Yeomans is tracking the latest in First Alert Weather.
The workers were celebrated for their consistency, professionalism, and determination to keep kids safe during the school year.
The 13-year-old was arrested in this case and was charged with four counts of aggravated battery.
The pontiff is on a seven-day trip to the country. It's the first for a pope in 15 years. Bad Bunny, on the other hand, is in the middle of a 10-concert residency in Madrid, which ends on June 15.
Waves of rain and thunderstorms could lead to flooding it the Chicago area and bring with them the risk of unusual landspout tornadoes.
Despite local hopes to rebuild Logan Correctional Center in its original Lincoln location, the Illinois Department of Corrections announced its plans to build a women's facility in Crest Hill, near Joliet.
The forecast for a summer reopening of West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park is growing cloudy, as negotiations continue between the owners and landlord, after the safety net hospital abruptly shuttered its doors in March.
A community will come together on Monday night to honor a city employee who dedicated his life to making Chicago streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians.
An employee inside the store was hit and pinned under the car, police said.
The forecast for a summer reopening of West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park is growing cloudy, as negotiations continue between the owners and landlord, after the safety net hospital abruptly shuttered its doors in March.
The Obama Presidential Center has been built with sustainability literally in its foundation. But its infrastructure for clean energy, environmentalism and climate change resiliency will also help the communities around it on Chicago's South Side.
A driver in Carol Stream says a band of hungry squirrels caused nearly $30,000 in damage to three different luxury vehicles because of plant-based parts they view as a tasty snack.
Legislation protecting Illinois customers receiving professional massages from sexual assaults and harassment is now on its way to Gov. JB Pritzker for his signature.
Could banning cell phones make Illinois classrooms better places to learn? State lawmakers are betting on it, sending a bill to Gov. JB Pritzker's desk to do exactly that.
Two members of Iraq's World Cup delegation were detained at O'Hare International Airport late Friday night. One of them was sent back home.
Team owner Cherie Travis came up with the playful name, which was inspired by the city's cold winters.
Two-time Gold Glove shortstop Dansby Swanson was held out of the Cubs' starting lineup for a second straight game.
Brandon Marsh homered for the third straight day and drove in two runs as the Phillies beat the White Sox in South Philly.
Stacey King, who played on the first three NBA Champion Chicago Bulls teams with Michael Jordan in the 1990s, has died.
An Illinois investment advisor has been indicted by a grand jury on charges that he swindled his clients in a Ponzi scheme.
One person was arrested after a pickup truck struck an Illinois State Police squad car in Chicago's Grand Crossing community early Monday.
Chicago police early Monday were investigating a stabbing that left a man dead in the Auburn Gresham community.
A man is dead after police said he was shot multiple times in the West Garfield Park neighborhood on Chicago's West Side.
A 13-year-old boy was charged Monday morning in a shooting that left four boys between the ages of 11 and 14 wounded in Chicago's Bronzeville community over the weekend.
