Illinois Unemployment Benefits 2026

Currently Active Programs (2026)

Extended Benefits (EB)

Program status (2026): Inactive

Extended Benefits provide additional weeks of unemployment compensation when Illinois’s unemployment rate meets federal trigger criteria established by the Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970.

Trigger requirements:

EB activates when either:

• IUR trigger: Insured Unemployment Rate (IUR) exceeds 5% AND is at least 120% of the average IUR for the same period in the prior two years, OR
• TUR trigger: Total Unemployment Rate (TUR) exceeds 6.5% AND is at least 110% of the average TUR for the same period in the prior two years

Additional weeks available: Up to 13 weeks (50% of regular duration) or 20 weeks when TUR exceeds 8%

Current status:

As of January 2026, Extended Benefits are not activated in Illinois. The IUR and TUR have not met trigger thresholds.

Status verification:

• URL: https://ides.illinois.gov
• Current rates: Check IDES website for latest unemployment rate data
• Last checked: January 26, 2026

When EB is triggered on, claimants who exhaust regular benefits may be eligible for additional weeks without filing a new claim. IDES automatically notifies eligible claimants when EB becomes available.

Source: EUCA § 202; 820 ILCS 405/407; IDES Extended Benefits information
Federal EB information: https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/eb.asp

Shared Work Program

Shared Work program status: Active

Illinois’s Shared Work program, also called Short-Time Compensation, allows employers to reduce employee hours instead of layoffs, with affected employees receiving partial unemployment benefits to supplement reduced wages.

How it works:

Employers submit a Shared Work plan to IDES proposing to:

• Reduce work hours for a specific group of employees by 10-60%
• Maintain health insurance and retirement benefits for participating employees
• Keep employees on payroll rather than laying off workers

Approved employees receive:

• Reduced wages for hours worked
• Partial unemployment benefits proportional to hour reduction
• No work search requirement while participating in Shared Work
• Continued health and retirement benefits

Example:

• Employee normally works 40 hours/week at $20/hour = $800/week
• Shared Work plan reduces hours by 40% = 24 hours/week = $480/week
• Employee receives $480 wages + approximately 40% of regular WBA as Shared Work benefit
• Total income higher than complete layoff would provide

Employer requirements:

• Submit Shared Work plan application to IDES
• Plan must cover at least 10% of workforce or 2 employees, whichever is greater
• Cannot reduce hours below 10% or more than 60%
• Must certify that participating employees’ health and retirement benefits continue
• Submit biweekly reports of actual hours worked

Employee eligibility:

• Must be covered by employer’s Shared Work plan
• Must meet regular UI monetary eligibility requirements
• Cannot refuse work or voluntarily reduce hours

Program benefits:

• Employers retain trained workforce and avoid layoff costs
• Employees maintain employment, benefits, and income
• Reduced unemployment insurance costs for employers compared to layoffs

Source: 820 ILCS 405/407.1 (Shared Work Program); IDES Shared Work information
Employer application: https://ides.illinois.gov/employer-resources/shared-work.html

Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA)

TAA program: Active (federal program)

Trade Adjustment Assistance provides benefits and services to workers who lose jobs due to foreign trade or shifts in production outside the United States.

Eligibility:

Workers may qualify if:

• Employer is certified by U.S. Department of Labor as trade-affected
• Job loss resulted from increased imports of similar products
• Job loss resulted from shift in production to foreign country
• Worker was employed at certified facility when petition was filed or within one year before

Benefits available:

• Extended unemployment benefits beyond 26 weeks (up to 130 weeks total with training)
• Job training funding for approved programs
• Job search allowances (up to 90% of costs, maximum $1,250)
• Relocation allowances (up to 90% of costs, maximum $1,250)
• Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) for health insurance premiums
• Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA) for workers age 50+ accepting lower-paying reemployment

Illinois TAA services:

IDES administers TAA benefits in Illinois. The TAA application process includes:

1. File regular unemployment claim with IDES
2. Contact IDES TAA coordinator when notified of potential TAA eligibility
3. Attend TAA orientation
4. Develop reemployment plan
5. Enroll in approved training if required

Illinois TAA coordinator:

Contact through IDES Trade Act office:

• Phone: (800) 244-5631
• Website: https://ides.illinois.gov

Source: Trade Act of 1974, 19 U.S.C. § 2271 et seq.
DOL TAA information: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/tradeact
Petition search: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/tradeact/petitions

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)

DUA availability: Available during federally declared disasters

Disaster Unemployment Assistance provides benefits to individuals who lost employment as direct result of a major disaster and are not eligible for regular unemployment insurance.

Eligibility:

DUA is available to individuals who:

• Lost employment as direct result of federally declared major disaster
• Are not eligible for regular UI in any state
• Can no longer work or reach job due to disaster
• Were self-employed, farm workers, or in employment not covered by UI
• Were scheduled to start work but job no longer exists due to disaster

Activation:

DUA is only available during presidentially declared major disasters. When disaster is declared, FEMA and IDES announce DUA availability and application procedures.

Application:

Applications must be filed within 30 days after state announces DUA availability for the disaster. Apply through:

• IDES Disaster Unemployment Assistance portal (announced when disaster declared)
• IDES phone line with disaster-specific instructions
• In-person at disaster assistance centers if established

Duration: Up to 26 weeks from disaster declaration date

Benefit amount: Based on state’s average weekly benefit amount or calculated from earnings if documentation available

Source: Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. § 5177
FEMA DUA information: https://www.fema.gov/assistance/individual/program
IDES disaster information: https://ides.illinois.gov (announced during disasters)

Pandemic-Related Programs

Federal pandemic programs: Expired

The following federal pandemic unemployment programs expired and are no longer available:

• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) – expired September 4, 2021
• Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) – expired September 4, 2021
• Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) – expired September 4, 2021
• Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) – expired September 4, 2021

These programs are not expected to be renewed absent new federal legislation in response to future pandemic or economic crisis.