[jakewolf]

This post makes no sense. From Illinios State site http://www.ides.state.il.us/employer/uitax.asp Rates for 2010 are max 7.250% min 0.650% base $12,520 (you don't pay into unemployment insurance for wages over $12520/yr)

The rate you pay is based on past claims not to exceed 7.250%. How does he get $20000?

[ratsbane]

One successful claim against you changes the rate you pay for each employee. If your rate is set at 7.25% then for one employee you might pay 7.250% * $12,520=$907.70. You pay that much for EACH employee, e.g. 10 employees yields a bill for $9,077.

[ajross]

Except that the headline quite clearly tells us that the charge is 20x higher than that (it's a $20k reason not to hire "someone", not "$20k reason not to fire 21 people").

Surely the headline would lie for the purposes of exploiting partisan anger?