Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Food-stamp enrollment in Illinois outpaces job creation by nearly 2-to-1

By Michael Lucci
09/16/2014
Illinois’ sluggish jobs recovery is coming at a tremendous cost. For every post-recession job created in Illinois, nearly two people have enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps. In the recession era, the number of Illinoisans dependent on food stamps has risen by 745,000. Without adequate job creation in the...

TAGS: SNAP

Real State of the State

By illinoispolicy
01/29/2014
JOBS AND GROWTH Illinois has the third-highest unemployment rate in the nation  More than 1 million Illinoisans are unemployed or underemployed Illinois is projected to be dead last in jobs growth in 2014 78,713 Illinoisans have given up and left the workforce since Dec. 2012 Illinois paid out $266M in improper unemployment insurance payments Illinois...

TAGS: State of the State

Decline in food stamp benefits no excuse for losing focus on job creation

By John Klingner
11/04/2013
This month, the more than 2 million Illinoisans currently enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will see a cut to their monthly food stamp benefits. An Illinois family of three will see their benefits decrease about $29. Currently, the average Illinois household receives $285 a month in benefits. The cut in benefits is due...

TAGS: SNAP

1 in 6 Illinoisans dependent on food stamps

By John Klingner
10/22/2013
The number of Illinoisans enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, remained above 2 million in July. This is the 10th month in a row enrollment has exceeded 2 million, or one-sixth of Illinoisans. And the number of Illinoisans who seem permanently stuck on government assistance is growing larger. Illinois puts more people...

TAGS: EBT: Illinois Electronic Benefit Transfer, SNAP

More than 2 million Illinoisans dependent on food stamps

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner
09/10/2013
The total number of Illinoisans on food stamps increased to nearly 2.15 million in June. One-sixth of Illinoisans, or 16.7 percent, are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. More than 100,000 people were added to the SNAP rolls in June. This is an artificially high number resulting from disaster-response programs deployed in...
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Pathway to a Profession: How Apprenticeships Could Reshape Illinois’ Beauty Service Industry

Occupational licensing requirements present one of the steepest barriers to low-income Illinoisans starting careers in beauty services. Illinois requires anyone seeking to become a barber, cosmetologist, nail technician or hair braider to obtain a state license, essentially a permission slip to work. Unlike 45 other states, Illinois offers only one pathway to licensure for each...

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Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

By Paul Kersey
06/19/2014

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students

By Ted Dabrowski
05/02/2016