Illinois Unemployment Eligibility

In order to establish unemployment eligibility in Illinois you have to:

1. Be a resident of Illinois. If you are not a resident of Illinois, but worked in Illinois at your last job, you should still have Illinois unemployment eligibility.
2. Have worked and earned income in Illinois.
3. You must not be disabled.
4. You must be able to work.
5. You must be actively looking for a new job.
6. You must have lost your job through no fault of your own. If you quit your job or were fired for ‘just cause’ you may not be eligible to collect unemployment in Illinois. Every case is different, so if you lost your job — be sure to apply to unemployment in case you are indeed eligible to receive unemployment benefits.

There are special rules that apply to unemployment elibility for military personnel and union workers, so check with your mility or union representative for these rules.