Rep. Davis Applauds Release of $100.4 million in Unemployment Insurance Incentive Funds to Illinois

Press Release

Rep. Davis applauds release of $100.4 million in unemployment insurance incentive funds to Illinois

Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-IL07) today applauded the speedy certification of more than $100 million in unemployment insurance incentive funds to Illinois. Illinois qualified for the funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by allowing workers to use their more recent earnings to qualify for benefits.

Davis stated, "Our community has been hit hard by the economic crisis. Workers in the 7th Congressional District continue to lose their jobs each week. There is an urgent need for these additional funds. These funds will help sustain families impacted by the recession and will help get our economy moving again. That is precisely why the Congress passed the Recovery Act. I thank Governor Quinn for acting responsibly by making prompt application for Illinois' share of the Unemployment modernization incentive payments and Labor Secretary Solis for acting promptly to certify Illinois."

The Recovery Act made a total of $7 billion available in UI modernization incentive payments to states that include certain eligibility provisions in their UI programs. Each state can qualify for a share of those funds by showing that its law includes those provisions. To date, in addition to Illinois, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey and South Dakota have been certified by the Labor Department to receive a share of the funds.

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