Unemployment Claims Trending Down In IL

By Benjamin Cox on June 5, 2020 at 8:23am

Unemployment claims are beginning to slow across the country as reopenings are bringing people back to work. Nearly 1.9 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, the ninth straight decline since applications spiked in mid-March.

In Illinois, 46,522 initial claims were filed for the week ended May 30, a decline of 11,741 from the previous week. The total number of people who are now receiving jobless aid rose only slightly to 21.5 million, suggesting that rehiring is offsetting some of the ongoing layoffs.

Though applications for benefits are slowing, the latest weekly number is still more than double the record high that prevailed before the viral outbreak. A truer picture of the jobs market may come next week, as it will likely reflect the reopening of restaurants, hair salons, tattoo parlors, and fitness centers. The trend has also helped bring back some customer spending likely spurring companies to hire again.