Joblessness coming to Murphysboro IDES office

The Illinois Department of Employment Security will close the Murphysboro jobless office in the coming weeks as part of a statewide shutdown of seven offices. Offices in Centralia will also close. In total, 192 positions are being cut across the state.

Agency chief Jay Stewart said the cost-cutting moves are because the federal government is reducing spending on recovery efforts as the nation pulls itself out of the economic downturn.

Funding for the agency is tied to unemployment insurance claim volumes. Falling claim volumes as a result of an improving economy are expected to reduce funding to the state by $11 million.

"A recession touches IDES in the exact opposite way that it touches the business community. In the private sector, cost-cutting decisions are required at the beginning of a recession. At federally funded IDES, cost-cutting occurs when the recession has ended and the recovery is moving forward," Stewart said in a prepared statement.

He said the targeted offices were evaluated on several criteria, including work-load comparisons and lease considerations. Closings are expected to occur in mid-March.