www.ides.state.il.us/ is the website for all the information on job offers and benefits in Chicago. You can find the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) Administrative Office on 33 South State Street in Chicago city, with the office hours of 8.30am to 5.00pm on all working weekdays, but remember that Mondays are the busiest days. You can also phone them to discuss extended benefits and direct deposits on either of these numbers: (800) 244-5631 or (312) 793-5280. Alternatively you don’t need to go to the office if you want to apply for insurance; it’s fast, easy and line-free. The state of Illinois offers internet filing for most claims, and you can start your application at ides.state.il.us/idclaim/default.asp. Make sure you have at least 30 minutes of dedicated time to fill out the online application, and that you have your social security number and employment information to hand. There are a couple of rather tricky screens and a couple of questions that may seem odd, but make sure you enter all the information needed until you see a completed screen. When the online application is completed, you will be given a confirmation number and effective date of unemployment. Make sure you print this information or save to your disk drive. Within two weeks you should receive a letter from IDES to confirm your Internet claim for unemployment benefits. If you do not receive a confirmation letter, you must go to a One-Stop Career Center to request help with your unemployment claim. You can also search for hundreds of job openings at the IDES site in the key sectors including information technology, manufacturing, logistics and health care, or even have your skills matched up with potential employers. To claim your benefits by phone, please call the automated TeleServe system every two weeks on 1-888-337-7234.
