Human Rights Investigator And Other Illinois Job Openings

ILLINOIS — Unemployment remains at historic highs, both in Illinois — where nearly 45,000 new claims were filed last week — and nationally — where a 13.3 percent rate rivals unemployment seen during the Great Depression. But employers are still hiring, in Chicago and across the state.

Here's how to find those jobs.

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The state has launched Get Hired Illinois, a new website with more than 60,000 job postings, as well as free vocational courses and virtual jobs fairs. Some jobs listed there include tax accountant, Pepsi merchandiser, and restaurant staff.

The employment site Indeed.com also has scores of job listings, including Amazon warehouse workers, rural mail carriers, photographers, forestry workers, and forklift operators. You can search for other local job openings on Indeed here.

Of note, the state of Illinois is hiring human rights investigators to counsel those who say their rights have been violated, ascertain jurisdiction and investigate charges of discrimination. Seems like there could be some use for that. Starting salary is $45,648 a year.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still hiring doctors, disease specialists and contact tracers to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.

The listings are worth a look, even if you're not a doctor or a specialist. For example, contact tracers, who are just required to have a bachelor's degree and a positive attitude, are being hired to call every person who has been in contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus. So, if you can use a phone, read a script and manage Microsoft Office, you're probably qualified.

The CDC says it may hire up to 300,000 contact tracers nationwide, and the pay goes up to $65,000 a year.

You can also search the Patch classifieds for jobs. And, if you're a small business owner in Illinois, you can post your own job openings on Patch by following these instructions.