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: