By Dave Dahl
SPRINGFIELD – There’s a word Illinois Republicans have for the state’s unemployment agency’s performance: unacceptable.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security has been a pinata ever since the pandemic started. Among the complaints: it takes days to get a call returned; people with jobs are getting benefits; the staff is rude.
State Rep. Joe Sosnowski (R-Rockford) read from a letter he says he received from IDES’ acting director: “With call center productivity at an all-time high, we are mindful that agency employees moving to in-person service would result in the department serving fewer residents.”
The governor has claimed IDES offices remain closed because of safety concerns for employees. Sosnowski calls that claim “nonsense.”
Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected].