Illinois to Deal With More Mass Layoffs

We’ve talked about mass layoff sin the state of Illinois in the past. For those of you who are not familiar with that earlier coverage here is a look at the mass layoff situation in that state, “When it comes to layoffs and the government there is a mixed relationship. After all, the government does try to put some limits on how private sector layoffs happen in order to make them fair to the workers and preserve the local economic balance. Then again when it comes to being an employer things are a bit different for the government…This mass layoff action was just one among many in the recent past that are increasing the number of people who are being laid off in that state. The trend of layoffs is increasing in this state. According to information put out by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity layoffs impacted more than 10,000 workers in the month of August this year, many of which happened in mass layoff actions.”

Mass layoffs can be a serious issue for the local economy as they represent a substantial loss of money for the local area. For those of you who are not familiar with the idea of a mass layoff action here is a look at how the federal government defines the term, “The Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program collects reports on mass layoff actions that result in workers being separated from their jobs. Monthly mass layoff numbers are from establishments which have at least 50 initial claims for unemployment insurance (UI) filed against them during a 5-week period. Extended mass layoff numbers (issued quarterly) are from a subset of such establishments—where private sector nonfarm employers indicate that 50 or more workers were separated from their jobs for at least 31 days.” The only good part of a mass layoff action is the fact that workers must be given 90 days notice before they are taken off of the payroll. This is done to give the families and the community at large time to prepare. The state is set to lose more than 1,000 jobs in the next month.

This is not the only employment problem plaguing the state as it has been dealing with big issues that warranted serious action, “Illinois has some serious financial problems. We’ve seen decades of fiscal mismanagement. It’s critical for our state that Illinois finds sound fiscal footing once and for all. Our biggest problems are pensions and Medicaid. This coming fiscal year, they will eat up 39 percent of the state budget, and drive our state even deeper into debt. That’s not good for our bond rating. That’s not good for Illinois. That’s not good for our communities, our schools or our businesses. Governor Quinn has laid out a bold plan to rescue our public pension and Medicaid systems. The Governor’s plan will stabilize these two programs, restore fiscal stability to Illinois and strengthen our economic growth. We must be able to provide funding for core government services – things like educating our children, ensuring public safety and access to basic human services. Every dollar we spend on pensions and Medicaid is a dollar we don’t spend on grants, community programs and initiatives that many of us depend upon.”

Update: After a mass layoff situation at Illinois, the state once again open  new opportunities for job seekers. Please visit Granted.com for latest openings.