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Hiring resources · Illinois
The 6 official Illinois offices that help employers find qualified people at no cost: the state workforce agency, job bank, veterans employment, vocational rehabilitation, reentry and apprenticeship. Every link was checked against the agency’s own site in October 2026. This guide is a free resource from WOTC Plus.
Know who you’re calling
Each office below works with a different kind of job seeker. Here is who you may meet through each one, and who to ask for when you call.
What to know in Illinois: IDES runs the Re-Entry Employment Service Program, while DCEO and Illinois workNet handle WIOA job training and apprenticeship.
Job seekers you may meet
When you call Ask for the business services team at your nearest American Job Center.
Job seekers you may meet
When you call Create a free employer account and post your openings.
Job seekers you may meet
When you call Ask the job center for its Local Veterans’ Employment Representative (LVER).
Job seekers you may meet
When you call Ask for the business relations or employer services counselor.
Job seekers you may meet
When you call Ask for the reentry employment specialist or job developer.
Job seekers you may meet
When you call Ask how to start or join a registered apprenticeship program.
Before you pick up the phone
These offices want employer partners. A five-minute call is usually all it takes to start getting referrals.
Use the “when you call” line above. Most offices have a business services or employer relations contact separate from the job-seeker front desk.
Job titles, pay, schedule, shift times, location, start date, and any license or background requirements.
Candidate referrals, job postings, hiring events, interview space, and training support. Every office is different.
Ask who your contact will be and how candidates will reach you. Tell them when you hire someone they sent, so they keep sending people.
Illinois employer questions
Start with Illinois Dept. of Employment Security (IDES). Its business services team will post your openings, refer pre-screened candidates and can host a hiring event, at no cost. Post your openings on IllinoisJobLink.com, the state’s public job bank, as well.
Start with Illinois Dept. of Veterans’ Affairs. Local Veterans’ Employment Representatives also work inside the Illinois Dept. of Employment Security (IDES) job centers and work directly with employers who want to hire veterans.
Illinois DHS — Division of Rehabilitation Services works with job seekers with disabilities and with the employers who hire them. Counselors refer job-ready candidates and can support them after hire with job coaching, training and help with workplace accommodations.
Yes. IDES — Re-Entry Employment Service Program connects employers with people returning from incarceration who are ready to work. Ask about the Federal Bonding Program too, a free fidelity bond that protects the employer during the first months of employment.
Post on IllinoisJobLink.com in addition to commercial job boards. Job center staff and case managers search these listings when they place candidates, including the long-term unemployed.
No. The workforce agency, job bank, veterans employment, vocational rehabilitation, reentry and apprenticeship offices listed on this page are publicly funded, and their recruiting help is free to employers.
Hiring through one of these programs? WOTC Plus can help with your new hires →
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