9/24/2012
For Immediate Release | Greg Rivara Phone: 312.814.0095 (pdf version)
Federal Cuts Prompt Relocation; Services Available on Internet
SPRINGFIELD - Federal budget cuts that could reach $44 million requires that employment assistance at the Litchfield service center on Airport Trail Road to relocate after business concludes on Friday, Sept. 28, the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) said today.
The IDES is nearly 100 percent federally funded. The anticipated cuts represent nearly 20 percent of its $218 million federal budget.
The impact on customer service is expected to be negligible because more than half of IDES claimants use the internet to apply for unemployment insurance benefits and receive those benefits through direct deposit. All services are available online. The website allows customers to conduct business when it is convenient for them because services are available outside office hours.
Offices near Litchfield include 1300 Ninth St., Springfield; 612 W. St. Louis Ave., Alton, and 50 Kriege Farm Road, Glen Carbon. All office hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Basic computer skills are highly recommended to compete in the current job market. Individuals not comfortable with computers are encouraged to practice at www.ides.illinois.gov.
There are more than 120,000 job openings at Illinoisjoblink.com, the revamped IDES employment website that links job seekers with ready-to-hire employers. This no-cost, on-line career resource allows individuals to create multiple resumes that emphasize different talents and allows businesses to search for specific skills. The keyword matching technology increases the likelihood of a successful new hire. Illinois JobLink emphasizes Illinois jobs, scrapes other commercial job boards, and compares favorably to private efforts that cost hundreds of dollars for a single advertisement.
For more information on IDES' no-cost H.R. recruitment services, business leaders should call (877) 342-7533.
