[July 03, 2013]CHICAGO -- Illinois Department
of Employment Security re-employment offices will be closed Thursday
in observance of Independence Day. All services will be available on
the IDES website.
Claimants scheduled to certify for benefits should do so. Regular
hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. will resume Friday.
Independence Day is celebrated on July
4. It honors the Declaration of Independence, which summarily
declared sovereignty from Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson drafted
the document between June 11 and June 28, 1776. The expressed
political philosophy of individual liberty was not new and had been
advocated by many. This time, however, Jefferson presented the
tenets as self-evident truths. The document presents a list of
reasons, or grievances, against Great Britain’s king to explain why
such a rebellious act was warranted.
All IDES services are
available online at
www.ides.illinois.gov. Individuals can file there for first-time
unemployment benefits; certify for benefits, which is necessary to
receive payment; and switch the method of payment to direct deposit.
Because July 4 is a federal banking holiday, the availability of
some benefit payments might be delayed. The IDES does not determine
federal banking holidays.
IDES customers can use the website to manage their benefit
payments. For benefit payments, the department encourages direct
deposit. Direct deposit is a simple, smart and secure way to receive
benefits. A debit card also is available. There are no fees
associated with a debit card at point-of-service counters that
accept MasterCard, such as grocery stores, drugstores and
convenience stores. Cash is available after qualifying purchases.
Fees likely will be assessed with out-of-network ATM machines.
Illinois businesses are hiring and looking for workers on
Illinoisjoblink.com.
The state’s hiring board features more than 100,000 help-wanted ads.
Job seekers can build multiple resumes to emphasize different skills
and experiences. Business owners can use keyword-matching technology
to search resumes and find the best candidate.
Illinoisjoblink.com is
free for workers and employers. It compares favorably with private
efforts that cost hundreds of dollars. No-cost human resources
recruitment services are available at the website and at
877-342-7533.
The IDES is nearly 100 percent federally funded. That means
budget amounts are determined by federal lawmakers in Washington,
D.C., rather than state lawmakers in Springfield.