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More Benefits for Illinois' Unemployed
Job seekers who are on unemployment in Illinois will get an extra 13 weeks of government payments. The Illinois Department of Employment Security is extending benefits past the typical 26 weeks because of the grim economic news.

Greg Rivara, spokesman for IDES, says the high March unemployment rate, which hit 9.1 percent, helped trigger the extension, which is automatic when certain economic numbers hit benchmarks that signal bad times.

The extended benefits will be paid for by federal stimulus dollars. Rivara says the agency doesn't know how many people will be eligible, but expects that number to be in the thousands, with the number increasing as more people lose their jobs.

(Illinois Radio Network)
04 17 09 by Newsroom
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