How long do you need to work in a job before you can collect unemployment in Illinois?

Regular unemployment benefits: If you meet the eligibility requirements of the law, you will have some income while you are looking for a job, up to a maximum of 26 full weeks in a one-year period.

Extended Unemployment Insurance Benefits:

Chicago - Under a new federal law that took effect on November 21, 2009, up to 20 weeks' worth of emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) benefits are now available for eligible individuals. Previously, individuals could only receive up to 13 weeks' worth of EUC benefits.

Eligible individuals who exhausted their rights to EUC benefits, based on the previous 13-week maximum, can receive up to seven more weeks' worth, for weeks beginning on or after November 23, 2009. IDES will notify those individuals of their certification days. The earliest possible certification day for those individuals will be December 8th.

Those claiming Illinois unemployment insurance can be paid a maximum of 26 weeks of standard benefits throughout the year. Extra weeks of benefits may be available via the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program.