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IL Dept. of Employment Security Offices Closed July 4 to Observe Independence Day


Customers Should Certify; Services Available on Internet

CHICAG—(ENEWSPF)—June 28, 2011. Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) offices will close Monday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day. Services will be available at the website. Claimants scheduled to certify for benefits should do so. Regular office hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. will resume Tuesday, July 5.

Independence Day is celebrated as the Fourth of July. 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.

Illinois has added 107,000 jobs so far this year and more than any state in the Midwest. In May, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.9 percent. The rate has fallen in 15 of the past 16 months.  The unemployment rate identifies those who are out of work and looking for work regardless if they are eligible for unemployment insurance. A person not collecting unemployment benefits still will be reflected in the unemployment rate if they continue to look for work.

Although IDES offices will be closed, services are available at the website. People still will 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. The website is www.ides.illinois.gov The IDES will process customer certifications on Monday. Because Monday is a federal banking holiday, the availability of some benefit payments might be delayed. The IDES does not determine federal banking holidays.

The IDES supports economic stability by administering unemployment benefits, collecting business contributions to fund those benefits, connecting employers with qualified job seekers, and providing economic information to assist career planning and economic development. It does so through nearly 60 offices across the state, including the Illinois workNet Centers. Services for Illinois workers include assistance to identify how current skills might be augmented through training or schooling in an effort to qualify for a new job or switch careers. For businesses, the Department administers tax credits and bonding programs to reward employers who hire specific workers, such as military veterans and the formerly incarcerated.

Source: illiniois.gov


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