Illinois Members Release County-By-County Numbers of Those Affected by Not Extending Unemployment Insurance

CHICAGO–(ENEWSPF)–December 19, 2013. On December 28th almost 82,000 people in Illinois are set to lose their unemployment insurance coverage because House Republicans blocked an effort to extend the federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation program into 2014. An additional 89,000 people in Illinois will lose their coverage in the first six months of 2014 if Republicans continue to block an extension of the program.

Failure to extend federal unemployment insurance would hurt job growth throughout the nation, costing the economy 240,000 jobs, according to the White House Council of Economic Advisers. The CEA estimates that in Illinois alone, failing to extend the program will cost 13,345 jobs. The county-by-county breakdown, based on the total number of people in Illinois currently receiving federal unemployment insurance, is below. The information was provided by the Illinois Department of Employment Security.

“Three days after Christmas, 1.3 million people will lose their emergency unemployment benefits,” said Rep. Jan Schakowsky. “That is inexcusable and Congress has an obligation to ensure that millions of people can keep their modest benefits. I continue to urge Speaker Boehner to call the House back into session to take a vote on extending these crucial unemployment benefits, which if not extended will harm both families and local economies, and result in the loss of 240,000 more jobs.”

“Unemployed Americans shouldn’t have to wait around for Congress to do the right thing and protect the most vulnerable among us,” said Rep. Mike Quigley. “Failure to extend the federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation program would hurt job growth and devastate recipients in the Chicago area at a time when they need this critical benefit the most.”

“I am very disappointed that Congress went home for the year without extending unemployment insurance,” said Rep. Bill Foster. “Our economy is still recovering from the worst recession since the Great Depression. Now is not the time to pull this important safety net out from under thousands of Illinois residents who are still searching for employment. ”

“It’s simply unconscionable to think that, as we head into the holidays and with the economy continuing to slowly recover, Congress would fail to act to extend these critically important emergency unemployment benefits,” said Rep. Brad Schneider. “Many of the families in my district and throughout the country continue to struggle and depend on these benefits, which is why I call on all of my colleagues to support an extension as soon as possible.”

“With our economy still recovering from the worst recession since the Great Depression, and with far too many families across our region still looking hard for work this holiday season, now is not the time to cut off this important lifeline,” said Rep. Cheri Bustos.

“While national unemployment is improving, Illinois’ unemployment rate of 8.9% is still well above the national average. Unemployment insurance is a critical lifeline for thousands of Illinois families who are working hard to get back on their feet in this economy,” said Rep. Robin Kelly. “Now is not the time to pull the rug out from under these families. We must extend unemployment insurance to give them the support they need to find work as our economy recovers.”

County	# OF PEOPLE LOSING COVERAGE DEC. 28
Adams	258
Alexander	33
Bond	92
Boone	328
Brown	13
Bureau	205
Calhoun	27
Carroll	50
Cass	76
Champaign	789
Christian	233
Clark	62
Clay	62
Clinton	158
Coles	218
Cook	38,260
Crawford	92
Cumberland	55
DeKalb	538
DeWitt	89
Douglas	59
Du Page	4,965
Edgar	92
Edwards	13
Effingham	165
Fayette	146
Ford	52
Franklin	349
Fulton	243
Gallatin	39
Greene	68
Grundy	320
Hamilton	43
Hancock	52
Hardin	34
Henderson	10
Henry	226
Iroquois	146
Jackson	233
Jasper	39
Jefferson	227
Jersey	130
Jo Daviess	52
Johnson	66
Kane	3,086
Kankakee	838
Kendall	717
Knox	281
La Salle	933
Lake	3,546
Lawrence	54
Lee	206
Livingston	147
Logan	134
Macon	1,161
Macoupin	291
Madison	1,618
Marion	231
Marshall	71
Mason	95
Massac	48
McDonough	87
McHenry	1,642
McLean	572
Menard	55
Mercer	40
Monroe	88
Montgomery	191
Morgan	187
Moultrie	58
Ogle	326
Peoria	1,546
Perry	131
Piatt	78
Pike	59
Pope	10
Pulaski	34
Putnam	44
Randolph	152
Richland	73
Rock Island	515
Saint Clair	1,667
Saline	220
Sangamon	1,059
Schuyler	38
Scott	26
Shelby	113
Stark	29
Stephenson	337
Tazewell	891
Union	101
Vermilion	533
Wabash	19
Warren	53
Washington	56
Wayne	65
White	62
Whiteside	351
Will	4,474
Williamson	440
Winnebago	2,388
Woodford	193

Total	81,867