Employment Service Registration Requirement FAQs

The employment service registration requirement is an existing legal requirement for individuals who have applied for Unemployment Insurance benefits. In Illinois, claimants register with the employment service online at www.IllinoisJobLink.com.

A complete employment service registration will help you find job-search resources, including free job postings, recruiting, job matches, hiring fairs, workshops, seminars and webinars. It also enables the Department to better track your employment needs and to help identify additional employment services. More information on employment services is available under the IllinoisJobLink.com "Resources" tab.

If you file a new claim and are subject to the registration requirement, unemployment insurance benefits will not be paid until your registration with IllinoisJobLink.com is complete. If your answers to the questions on your application for unemployment insurance benefits indicate you are subject to the registration requirement, you will be prompted to complete your registration by going to IllinoisJobLink.com. If your answers indicate you are not subject to the registration requirement, you will not be required to go to IllinoisJobLink.com. IDES will inform you if you fit into one of the narrow exceptions. 

IDES claimants already have a username and password at IllinoisJobLink.com. When first applying for benefits, all claimants are sent an email with their IllinoisJobLink.com account information. If you can’t find this email, or if you have forgotten your username and password, both can be reset by following these instructions.

1. Login to IllinoisJobLink.com
2. Confirm your email address or skip the email confirmation
3. Select one of the choices on the job seeker message and click “Continue”
4. Select one of the choices on the self-service list and click "Continue."
5. To update your existing resume: Select resume title and follow the navigation until you land on the page where you can select "Finish". To create or upload a new resume: follow steps 6-8.
6. Answer all the questions on the "New Resume Page."
7. Choose file and upload resume in Microsoft Word format or select "Create Resume."
8. On the "Select Occupation" page, select the job title that you are best qualified for and follow the navigation until you land on the page where you can select "Finish."

For additional help, read the FAQs on troubleshooting your IllinoisJobLink.com account.

Your registration will be considered complete when you create or upload at least one résumé. To verify your registration status, log in to www.IllinoisJobLink.com and you will see "UI Registered" in green on the left-hand side of the screen.

Yes. New claimants are subject to the registration requirement. If they do not immediately complete the registration after applying for benefits, they will receive a notice by mail with instructions on how to complete the registration and the due date by which the registration must be completed.

If you are required to register and do not do so by the due date, you will not be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits for any week prior to the week in which you complete your registration.

No. You can complete the process from anywhere there is internet access. 

No. You must register on www.IllinoisJobLink.com unless you are exempt.

As part of the registration process through www.IllinoisJobLink.com, you are required to complete a Job Match Profile. IDES and www.IllinoisJobLink.com use your contact information to alert you about job matches, hiring fairs, workshops, seminars and webinars. Employers actively search on www.IllinoisJobLink.com for résumés with skills, education and work histories that match their job openings. Be sure to include your preferred contact method on the résumé, so that employers can contact you.

No. Individuals who are currently receiving Unemployment Insurance benefits will not need to update their registrations to continue receiving benefits. However, all Unemployment Insurance claimants are encouraged to keep their résumés active and their information up to date so employers can contact them with employment opportunities.

IllinoisJobLink.com is Illinois’ job search site with 100,000+ job postings for jobseekers to search for their next career opportunity, as well as training and education resources. Registering for IllinoisJobLink.com fulfills the employment service registration requirement for unemployment insurance.