* IDES…

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate increased +0.3 percentage point to 4.4 percent, while nonfarm payrolls increased +9,500 in September to a record high and surpassing the pre-pandemic number of total nonfarm payrolls, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and released by IDES. The August revised unemployment rate was 4.1 percent, unchanged from the preliminary August unemployment rate. The August monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from -100 to +3,800 jobs. The September unemployment rate and payroll jobs estimate reflect activity for the week including the 12th.

In September, the industry sectors with the largest over-the-month job gains included: Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+3,400), Manufacturing (+2,500), and Leisure and Hospitality (+2,100). The industry sectors with monthly payroll job declines included: Professional and Business Services (-2,200), Construction (-300), and Mining (-100). […]

The state’s unemployment rate was +0.6 percentage point higher than the national unemployment rate reported for September. The national unemployment rate was 3.8 percent in September, unchanged from the previous month. The Illinois unemployment rate was down -0.2 percentage point from a year ago when it was at 4.6 percent.

Compared to a year ago, nonfarm payroll jobs increased by +79,400 jobs, with gains across most major industries. The industry groups with the largest jobs increases included: Educational and Health Services (+36,900), Government (+29,900), and Leisure and Hospitality (+27,300). Professional and Business Services (-20,300), Manufacturing (-7,200), and Information (-4,900) reported the largest declines in payroll jobs. In September, total nonfarm payrolls were up +1.3 percent over-the-year in Illinois and up +2.1 percent in the nation.

The number of unemployed workers was 282,500, up +6.1 percent from the prior month, and down -4.7 percent over the same month one year ago. The labor force was almost unchanged (0.0 percent) over-the-month and down -0.1 percent over-the-year. The unemployment rate identifies those individuals who are out of work and seeking employment. An individual who exhausts or is ineligible for benefits is still reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.

* Press release…

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias signed an Executive Order today to expand the office’s parental leave policy – from four weeks to twelve weeks – which takes place immediately.

Since taking office in January, Giannoulias has worked closely with staff and various unions representing Secretary of State employees to strengthen the office’s paid parental leave.

Under the new policy, employees will also have more flexibility with the ability to use their time off intermittently in five-day increments for one year after the child becomes part of their family. It applies to those employees growing their family by birth or adoption.

“No working parent should have to choose between paying their bills and the time necessary to bond with their new child and family,” said Giannoulias, the father of three young daughters. “Allowing just four weeks of time off following the birth of a child is not only woefully insufficient, but criminal.”

“By signing this order, we’re making a positive impact for working Illinoisans across our state that will result in healthier and more financially stable families,” he added. “It will also create a more effective workplace and position the office to become more competitive when attracting and retaining a talented workforce.”

Overhauling the office’s antiquated parental leave policy aligns with Giannoulias’ goals of reducing disparities in maternal and infant health-related issues and addressing gender and racial inequity in accessing quality, good-paying jobs.

Under the new policy, as well as through recently enacted union agreements, all of the approximately 4,100 Secretary of State employees will receive up to twelve weeks of paid parental leave regardless of whether they are the birthing or non-birthing parent, who under the previous policy were only given two weeks of paid time off.

* Press release…

The State Treasurer’s Office made nearly $118 million in investment earnings from the state investment portfolio in September, Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs announced today.

Another $86.7 million in gross investment earnings was earned for cities, villages, school districts, counties and other units of government that take part in the highly rated Illinois Funds local government investment pool operated by the State Treasurer’s Office.

“Every dollar we make through smart, safe investing is a dollar that does not need to be raised in taxes,” Treasurer Frerichs said. “The Treasurer’s Office is part of the solution in Illinois.”

Treasurer Frerichs is the state’s Chief Investment and Banking Officer. He is responsible for the state investment portfolio and an investment pool for units of local government called Illinois Funds.

Key monthly metrics and more are available in The Vault, the transparency website that allows Illinois residents to see how the State Treasurer’s Office is working for them. The site is at iltreasurervault.com.

* Bloomberg forced to report some positive news…

Chicago earned an upgrade from Fitch Ratings Thursday thanks to the city’s improving economy and declining long-term debt burden.

Fitch boosted the rating of the third-largest U.S. city one notch to BBB+ from BBB, with a stable outlook. The upgrade comes less than a year after the city shed its lone junk rating from Moody’s Investors Service last November.

And no mention of the dead transaction tax.

* Banning 1984 is pretty darned Orwellian…

This is nuts: Hundreds of books have now been pulled from schools across Iowa, many due to a new law targeting depictions of "sex acts." They include:

1984
Brave New World
Slaughterhouse-Five
Ulysses

Critics of these laws have been vindicated. Free link:https://t.co/jWmRGzzhl0

— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) October 19, 2023

* Sigh…

Dave just received a news release about an #earthquake drill. The drill is scheduled for 10:19am on Oct 19 (10-19), just about the exact minute the release came in. #nothelpful #reporterlife

— Newsradio WTAX (@WTAX) October 19, 2023

* Isabel’s roundup…

* Herald-Review | What to expect when lawmakers return to Springfield next week: This year is shaping up to be less active. Legislative leaders have already ruled out new legislation that would have provided additional state funds to Chicago to deal with the influx of asylum-seeking migrants from Venezuela. And the leaders of the Chicago Bears, who have been seeking state help with their expected stadium project in Arlington Heights, have said they will not be pursuing legislation this fall.

* Crain’s | An under-the-radar tussle over nursing home taxes could boost your property tax burden: If enacted into law, the measure would shift tens of millions of dollars “and maybe more” in annual property taxes from nursing facilities to homeowners and other businesses, according to Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s office. Some south suburban communities would be particularly affected.

* Daily Herald | Lombard man facing hate crime charges against Muslim victims denied pretrial release: When the victims were at a bench outside the apartment building, York yelled profanities at them and said, “I’ll shoot you. Get out of here,” and “Go, go (expletive) … This is America … get the (expletive) out of here,” according to Rabulinski.

* WGLT | Tipsword faces primary challenge in 105th Illinois House District: Don Rients of Benson is running for the seat for a second time. “I haven’t liked some of the votes done by the current representative, and I feel like we need new blood down there,” Rients said.

* Chalkbeat | Chicago teachers urge State Board of Education to help with ongoing migrant crisis : Teachers told board members on Wednesday during the state board’s monthly meeting that Chicago schools are struggling to meet the needs of newly arrived school-age migrants. Some teachers said classrooms have become overcrowded, schools don’t have enough bilingual educators, and many students need access to bilingual social workers or school counselors for social-emotional support.

* CBS Chicago | Protesters rally against construction of migrant tent camp on Chicago’s Southwest Side: Protesters claimed construction on the basecamp would be completed before a community meeting scheduled for Tuesday night to discuss details of the plans. City officials have not discussed a timeline for construction or opening of the tent camp. Construction at the Brighton Park site has continued for several days, but as of Thursday, no tents have been built on the site.

* ABC Chicago | Alderwoman swarmed, harassed during protest amid Chicago migrant crisis: “My administration supports the right to peaceful protest and free speech, but this type of action against a public servant is unconscionable,” the release said. “Any violent act against an elected official in our city is unacceptable and must be condemned in the strongest terms. My office and the Chicago Police Department are currently investigating this incident, and we will provide updates as they become available.”

* ABC Chicago | Chicago delegation warns migrants at Texas border of city’s lack of shelter space, oncoming cold: Three Chicago aldermen and the city’s deputy mayor managing the new arrivals in Chicago are visiting multiple cities across Texas, including El Paso, San Antonio, McAllen and Brownsville. […] “We’ve done everything we could, and now it’s time for the federal government to declare Chicago a federal disaster zone, with that comes millions of dollars that will be used to house, used to provide wrap-around services and not for profits can step in and work beside the city,” 6th Ward Alderman Will Hall said.

* KOMO | Chicago delegation visits El Paso, urges Texas to limit busing of migrants: The group of Chicago aldermen and aides to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson made a stop at the county of El Paso’s Migrant Support Services Center and the Annunciation House. “Just being able to listen to each other and understand what each other’s issues are. So we can all advocate with one voice too because this is not just a border problem this is not just a Chicago problem, this is an issue that affects many many communities,” Stout said.

* NBC Chicago | Multiple City Council members part of Chicago delegation visiting Texas border amid migrant crisis: Sigcho-Lopez said he believes the trip will be a launching point for more coordination at the border, especially after meeting with nonprofits and local leaders in El Paso. “That coordination will prevent tragedies when people arrive in Chicago without knowing what the weather is even,” he said.

* Crain’s | City reups contract with Jones Lang LaSalle to scout sites for migrant housing: In August 2018, the city inked a contract worth $2.3 million with JLL for site reviews, appraisals and brokerage services. That contract expired this year on Aug. 5, but was extended to 2025, spokesman Michael Grimm said in an email to Crain’s. The city’s contracting website does not list an extension and Grimm did not share further information on the cost of the contract.

* Block Club | City Workers Struggle With Language Barrier At Bus ‘Landing Zone’ For Migrants: Seven of the 14 OEMC staffers assigned to the landing zone speak Spanish, according to a city official — but as few as two Spanish-speaking staffers may end up on one shift, tasked with being the first point of contact for dozens of asylum seekers, workers said.

* NYT | Amid Migrant Influx, Massachusetts Will No Longer Guarantee Shelter: The emergency shelter system in Massachusetts has been stretched to its breaking point, Gov. Maura Healey said on Monday, and the state will no longer guarantee shelter placements for new arrivals beginning next month, despite a law that says eligible families must be offered temporary housing.

* CNN | New York City to limit migrant family shelter stays to 60 days, mayor announces: “As the city still seeks further and timely support from federal and state partners, it will begin providing 60 days’ notice to families with children seeking asylum to find alternative housing along with intensified casework services to help them explore other housing options and take the next steps in their journeys,” the administration said in a statement.

* Tribune | New regulations would barely dent the massive amounts of toxic pollution NW Indiana steel mills have been spewing for years: New regulations proposed by President Joe Biden’s administration — required by a federal court order — would barely make a dent in reducing as much as 600 tons of metals and chemicals the EPA says has been emitted annually by the eight mills. As a result, predominantly Black, low-income neighbors of the northwest Indiana mills would continue to be disproportionately at risk from pollution that can irreparably damage the brains of young children, cause cancer and trigger other diseases — a departure from Biden’s pledge to make environmental justice a cornerstone of his administration.

* Milwaukee Business Journal | Wisconsin packaging company to outsource jobs, close a plant and lay off hundreds in Illinois: A Wisconsin-based manufacturer of packaging, display merchandising and signage is laying off 271 people across several of its Illinois facilities, including one in Metro East.

* Pantagraph | Inside one of the 300 Rivian-made Amazon vans on Seattle streets: Amazon now has more than 10,000 Rivian Automotive electric delivery vans delivering packages to customers, including 300 in the online retail giant’s home city of Seattle.

* Crain’s | Ferrara Candy is buying Jelly Belly: Ferrara Candy — the Chicago-based maker of Nerds, Lemonheads and Sweetarts — is adding jelly beans to its lineup with the acquisition of Jelly Belly.

* SJ-R | As two new restaurants enter the Springfield market, another ends short-lived run: Yummy Bowl began serving its customizable Mongolian grill concept Tuesday at 3434 Freedom Drive in Parkway Pointe Shopping Center. And earlier this month Jaalsa kicked off the celebration for the new Indian restaurant at 3114 S. Sixth St. … Matto: Pies & Pours closed Monday, nine months after opening on Springfield’s south side.

* AP | NCAA is investigating allegations of sign-stealing by Michigan football: The NCAA does not have rules specifically against stealing signs but does prohibit in-person advanced scouting of opponents and also does have bylaws prohibiting unsportsmanlike activities.