Employment security offices closed Dec. 25, Jan. 1
Claimants
should certify; services available on Internet
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[December 21, 2012]
CHICAGO -- The Illinois
Department of Employment Security will be closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.
Regular office hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. resume on each following
day.
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Although offices will be closed, services will be available at
www.ides.illinois.gov. People will still be able to file for
first-time unemployment benefits, certify for benefits, which is
necessary to receive payment, and switch that method of payment to
direct deposit. Because the next two Tuesdays are federal banking
holidays, the availability of some benefit payments might be
delayed. The IDES does not determine federal banking holidays.
Additionally, IDES reminds people that the federal Emergency
Unemployment Compensation program, EUC, ends Dec. 29. This will
touch individuals who have collected unemployment insurance longer
than 25 weeks. The state's regular unemployment program continues.
The state program represents weeks one through 25.
Every $1 in unemployment insurance generates $1.63 in economic
activity because the dollars are quickly spent at neighborhood
businesses.
The unemployment rate identifies those who are out of work and
seeking employment. Individuals who exhaust their benefits, or are
ineligible, still will be reflected in the unemployment rate if they
actively seek work.
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IDES is federally funded, and funding is partly tied to the
number of people collecting unemployment. That number will fall
because federal EUC ends ($16M cut) and there are fewer people
collecting the state's regular unemployment ($11M cut). When
combined with potential cuts from the fiscal cliff ($17M cut), IDES'
budget could be cut $44 million annually, or about 20 percent. These
cuts come at a time when the numbers of claims remain 38 percent
higher than prior to the recession.
To live within its budget, IDES already has non-scheduled 216
intermittent employees, consolidated eight offices and vacated 10
outpost locations shared with partners. The federal cuts might
necessitate further service reductions, including additional office
consolidations.
[Text from
Illinois
Department of Employment Security
file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information] |