Kankakee Times

State Rep. Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee) wants unemployed and underemployed Illinoisans to be ready when the economy reopens.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has definitely made its mark on the job market, few industries have made it out unscathed,” Haas said during an employment readiness webinar she recently hosted. “But as Illinois prepares to enter into Phase 5 of Gov. Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan on June 11, we can look forward to a complete reopening of all sectors of the economy and finally return to normal.”

Several Republican lawmakers say many of the unemployed had a harder time through the pandemic due to failures within the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES).

"The IDES has failed completely," state Rep. Martin McLaughlin (R-Lake Barrington) said at a recent news conference. "They haven't just failed recently, they've been continually failing."

Across the state, unemployment offices were closed for roughly a year, creating a staggering backlog that forced many to wait extended periods of time when the offices were most in need.

At the webinar, Haas had several presenters talk strategy with viewers in “landing the job they want.”

“With this development, comes a lot of opportunity,” she said.