Illinois unemployment benefits
In Illinois, unemployment benefits last up to 26 weeks and pay up to $628 a week (as of July 1, 2026). There is an unpaid waiting week, and you file with the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
By Justin KullaLast updated
Last verified October 6, 2026 against official sources.
File a claim with the Illinois Department of Employment Security →
Illinois benefits at a glance
| Maximum weekly benefit | $628source, July 1, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Minimum weekly benefit | $51source, July 1, 2026 |
| Maximum weeks of benefits | 26 weeks (26 weeks for all eligible claimants (uniform duration))source, July 1, 2026 |
| Weeks depend on the state unemployment rate | Nosource, July 1, 2026 |
| Unpaid waiting week | Yessource, October 6, 2026 |
| Severance pay | Illinois rule 56 Ill. Adm. Code 2920.45 says severance pay does not make a claimant ineligible for benefits.source, October 6, 2026 |
| Pay in lieu of notice | Check with the Illinois Department of Employment Security |
| Work-search requirement | Claimants must actively seek work each week; the minimum number of weekly work search activities is listed as "Quality not quantity".source, January 1, 2023 |
| Extended benefits | Not available nowsource, October 4, 2026 |
| How to file | the Illinois Department of Employment Securitysource, October 6, 2026 |
Weekly amounts exclude dependents’ allowances. Severance, pay in lieu of notice and work-search entries dated January 1, 2023 come from the Department of Labor’s latest Comparison of State UI Laws, which reflects state law on that date; confirm them with the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
Severance and unemployment in Illinois
Severance pay: Illinois rule 56 Ill. Adm. Code 2920.45 says severance pay does not make a claimant ineligible for benefits.
Pay in lieu of notice (including WARN Act pay): Check with the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
File as soon as you are out of work even if you received severance. The agency decides how payments affect your claim, and most states pay only from the week you file.
Local workforce boards in Illinois
Public workforce boards run American Job Centers, which offer free help with job search, training and benefits.
- Career Link
- Du Page County Workforce Innovation Board
- East Central Illinois Workforce Board
- Grundy Livingston Kankakee Workforce Board
- Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
- Kane, Kendal & DeKalb County Workforce Development Board
- Lake County Workforce Development Board
- Land of Lincoln Workforce Alliance Illinois workNet Center
- Local Workforce Innovation Board 23
- LWIA 7
- Macon-Dewitt Workforce Investment Board
- Madison - Bond - Jersey- Calhoun Workforce Innovation Board
- McHenry County Workforce Network Board
- Mid America Workforce Investment Board
- NCI Works
- Southern 14 Workforce Investment Board
- Southern Illinois Workforce Development Board
- The Workforce Connection Inc.
- Two Rivers Regional Council
- Vermillion County Workforce Investment Board
- West Central Development Council, Inc.
- Workforce Development Board of Rock Island, Henry and Mercer Counties, Not-for-Profit Corporation
- Workforce Investment Board of Will County
If you’re a laid-off professional
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, Significant Provisions of State Unemployment Insurance Laws and Comparison of State Unemployment Insurance Laws, the DOL Extended Benefits trigger notice, and the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Where official sources disagree or a figure could not be confirmed, this page says to check with the agency rather than estimate. Rules change; the agency’s decision on your claim is what counts. See our editorial standards.