Kane County Reporter

Illinois Rep. Dan Ugaste expressed his displeasure with the latest unemployment figures, which were second only to Nevada as the highest jobless rate in the nation.

"We should be a leader in growing job opportunities for our residents," Ugaste wrote in a Facebook post late last month. "We have the resources, but our state's high taxes and bad public policies drive employers away. We have to be more competitive to get innovators and job creators to invest in Illinois."

In his post, Ugaste shared a WGN article that showed that Illinois’ unemployment rate is also significantly higher than neighboring states, such as Indiana (3.1%), Wisconsin (3.2%), Iowa (3.1%) and Missouri (2.8%). Nationally, the unemployment rate stands at 3.5%, WGN reported.

Ugaste was recently appointed to serve on six House committees after he took office for his current term on Jan. 11. He will hold the role of Republican spokesperson on three of those committees, according to his website. Ugaste will be spokesman for the House Labor & Commerce, Judiciary – Civil, and Financial Institutions Committees. He will also serve on the House Police & Fire, Public Utilities and Prescription Drug Affordability Committees, his site stated.