IDES Processes More Than 830,000
Unemployment Claims in Last Eight Weeks
Number of Initial Claims Slowly Decreasing
Since COVID-19 Crisis Began
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[June 18, 2020]
The Illinois Department of
Employment Security (IDES) today released new statewide data showing
the department processed 81,596 new initial unemployment claims for
the week ending April 25 and has now processed more than 830,000
initial unemployment claims from March 1 through April 25. This is
10 times the number of claims the department processed over the same
period last year, when IDES processed just 69,000 initial
unemployment claims.
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Illinois is beginning to experience a slight
decline in the number of new initial claims since its peak of more
than 100,000 processed claims on March 21, 2020. Statewide
unemployment claims data, which reflects activity for the week
prior, will be available on the IDES website every Thursday
afternoon.
To manage the unprecedented demand, IDES worked quickly to overhaul
its website infrastructure, expanded web and call center capacity,
and secured third party vendor partnerships to further implement and
streamline new programs that enhance filing capabilities. The
department is also standing up a virtual call center, that will
nearly double current call center capacity with Illinois-based call
center representatives. IDES waived the
waiting week for claimants, was one of the first states to implement
the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), which
provides an additional $600 each week in federally funded benefits
to eligible Illinoisans, and recently implemented the Pandemic
Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), which provides up to 13
weeks’ worth of federally funded benefits to individuals who have
exhausted their regular state unemployment benefits.
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The CARES Act also created Federal Pandemic
Unemployment Assistance (FPUA), a new program for people who are not
typically covered by the state’s unemployment system. The department
is contracting with Deloitte to launch this system the week of May
11.
Those with questions or in need of assistance with unemployment
benefits at this time are encouraged to visit IDES.Illinois.gov.
[Illinois Office of Communication and
Information] |