Unemployment rates in Chicago are around 6.5% currently. Chicago's unemployment rate exceeds the national average. The loss of jobs for both unskilled and college-educated workers can be attributed to the Internet bust, an ailing economy, plant closings, and the relocation of companies once headquartered in Chicago. However, the unemployment rate seems to be on the decline.

The Mayor's Office of Workforce Development (MOWD) assists job seekers - including those who have been laid off - in finding and keeping jobs. The five Chicago Workforce Centers located throughout the city, as well as 30 community-based affiliate organizations, offer services such as basic job skills courses, access to job listings, seminars in resume writing and interviewing, and veterans services. Mayor Daley's WorkNet Chicago assists ex-offenders in reentering the workforce.

Unemployment Insurance helps those unemployed by using tax revenue as a cushion so the unemployed may still collect a modest income. To collect unemployment one must not have a job, be actively looking for work in the prior 4 weeks, and are currently available for work. Actively looking for work may consist of any of the following activities:

• contacting an employer directly or having a job interview;
• contacting a public or private employment agency;
• sending out resumes or filling out applications;
• placing or answering advertisements;
• or checking union or professional registers.