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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) by Partners

The frequently asked questions (FAQs) provided below highlight topics and specific questions that partners often ask IDES. If you have more specific questions, please contact us.

Questions Answers
How can I find information on extended unemployment benefits? You can find information on Emergency Unemployment Compensation and Extended Benefit programs at...
What are the IDES TTY numbers? The IDES TTY numbers are...
How are unemployment rates calculated? The national unemployment rate is produced through a monthly household survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics...
Where can I find current unemployment rates for all areas including Illinois, metropolitan areas, counties and cities? The following page has unemployment rates for the most current, previous and year-ago months...
If I exhaust my Unemployment Insurance benefits and remain without a job am I still counted as unemployed in unemployment statistics? Yes, anyone who is without a job but available to work and was actively looking for work sometime during the four week period ending with the reference week (week including the 12th) is counted as unemployed...
How are sub-state unemployment rates developed? Unemployment rates for metropolitan areas, counties and cities are developed through a complex, multi-step process that includes a variety of data inputs...
How are national unemployment rates developed? National unemployment rates are developed through a monthly sample survey of about 60,000 households known as the Current Population Survey...
How are people who exhaust their Unemployment Insurance benefits included in the unemployment statistics? Data on the number of unemployed who have exhausted their Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits is captured through a monthly household survey, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
Where can I find out which Illinois employers are laying off workers? Please visit the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) for a current listing...
When will unemployment rates for the next month be available? Please see our current monthly data release schedule at...