Unemployment is hitting record levels in Illinois with weeks to go until the COVID-19 stay-at-home order expires. Federal action made self-employed workers eligible, but Illinois could be months away from handling their claims.
Unemployment claims spiked this week as Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered bars and restaurants to halt dine-in service, the service industry took major hits and large gatherings were banned to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.
Each year, tens of billions of dollars flow through Illinois state government.1 These flows all depend on methods of payment. In deciding on those payment methods, policymakers must consider a number of important factors, including security controls, cost effectiveness, accessibility, speed and allowance for choice. This report shows that by adopting best practices across all...
Illinois’ jobs growth over the past year was 40 percent slower than the national average, and lagged even further behind the average of neighboring states.