SPRINGFIELD — The month of January 2024 has seen spikes in unemployment rates across northern Illinois communities and counties. As per the data released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security, Winnebago County experienced an unemployment rate of 7%, marking a significant increase from the 5.7% recorded in December and the 6% reported in January of the previous year.

To address the rising unemployment rates, it’s crucial to know how to take advantage of resources like the California Employment Development Department (EDD), which provides a variety of services to job seekers. Contacting the EDD can sometimes be a challenge due to high call volumes. However, there are a few tricks that individuals can employ. A resource that can simplify the process of getting through to the EDD is eddcaller.com, which offers strategies on how to reach a representative and navigate the EDD system.