SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced least week that the state has reached a new historic low of continued unemployment claims since 1987.
The previously-recorded low was 70,454, and Illinois has remained below that number for 10 consecutive weeks. The most-recent data shows that claims amount to a little over 65,000.
State officials said this is a reflection of pandemic-related economic recovery and that it signals a strong labor market. They pointed to job growth in nondurable goods manufacturing, transportation and warehousing, professional and technical services and business services, which have exceeded pre-pandemic levels.
In addition to unemployment benefits, IDES provides job training and employment services to help people find the next step of their careers, including resume and interview skill building, job and hiring fairs and workforce training opportunities. These services can be found on Get Hired Illinois, a website the state launched in 2020 to help people find jobs and to help employers find new hires.
