In this issue:
- Unemployment rate increases in Illinois metro areas
- Join the summer reading club!
- Beware of contractor fraud following recent severe weather
- Illinois headlines
Unemployment rate increases in Illinois metro areas
The unemployment rate went up in all 12 of the state’s metropolitan areas compared to the same time last year. That is according to April data released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES).
The area around Champaign was a rare bright spot, picking up 100 jobs in April, which is the 15th consecutive month of gains in that area, though the overall unemployment rate in Champaign increased by 0.1%. However, other metropolitan areas of Illinois did not fare so well. The Bloomington area lost 1800 jobs while Rockford was down by 2400 and Springfield by 1700. Unemployment around Kankakee increased by 200 jobs.
The IDES figures went on to report that the unemployment rate in the Champaign area stands at 3.8%, Bloomington at 3.7% and Peoria at 4.6%. The Chicago area had an unemployment rate of 5.0%. In all, the unemployment rate increased in 97 of Illinois’ 102 counties compared with April 2025.
The highest unemployment rate among the 12 metro areas was found in Decatur, which stood at 5.6%. Bloomington had the lowest level.
IDES also reported on the total number of nonfarm jobs in each metro area. In the Bloomington area there were 92,800 jobs reported in April. In Champaign that number was 123,900 and in the Kankakee area it was 42,400. Statewide there were 6,143,100 jobs, down by 2300 from the same time last year.
Join the summer reading club!
This summer I am once again encouraging local students between Kindergarten and 5th grade to join my summer reading club!
In honor of the 250th birthday celebrations taking place all over our nation, this year’s theme is Read All About It: America 250.
The parent or guardian of any 106th District student who reads eight books before July 31 can fill out the entry form and send it back to my office. The form can also be filled out on my website or picked up at any local library. Students who complete the reading program by July 31 will receive an official certificate and some free ice cream!
In honor of the America 250 celebration, however, there will also be a special additional bonus for any student who reads at least one book about American history as part of their summer reading.
Contact my office with questions, or with completed entry forms. Good luck to all our summer readers!
Beware of contractor fraud following recent severe weather
In the aftermath of the recent severe storms in our area, the National Insurance Crime Bureau has issued a warning to local residents about the dangers of contractor fraud.
“Residents should be cautious of anyone who appears immediately after the storm, claims to be affiliated with an insurance company without verification, offers a “free” inspection, demands payment in cash, or says a deal is only available if a contract is signed immediately,” the warning reads in part.
The bureau encourages those with storm damage to “contact their insurance carrier early in the restoration process and verify the credentials of anyone offering repair, debris removal, roofing, construction, water mitigation or other post-storm services.”
You can also click here to find information from the Illinois Attorney General’s office on how to avoid home repair fraud.
Our current bill backlog
When a vendor provides the state with goods and services, they submit the bill to the Illinois Comptroller for payment. The Comptroller processes the paperwork and pays the bill when funds are available in the state’s checking account. Currently the total amount of unpaid bills is $943,476,914. This figure changes daily. Last year at this time the state had $1.3 billion in bills awaiting payment. This only includes bills submitted to the Comptroller for payment, not unfunded debts like the state’s pension liability, which is well over $100 billion.
Illinois headlines
$27 million in investments to Illinois libraries
Pritzker vetoes spending items accidentally included in Illinois budget, including $500 billion typo
New law brings farmland assessment changes
Mandatory driving test lifted for some senior drivers in Illinois
Will Illinois’ new social media tax be struck down in court?