The U.S. Department of Labor reported that initial filings for unemployment benefits in Illinois rose last week compared to the previous week. The data shows that new jobless claims, a measure of layoffs, increased from 10,751 to 15,198 in the week ending December 2. Nationwide, unemployment claims increased by 1,000 to 220,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis. The largest percentage increase in weekly claims was seen in the Virgin Islands, and Delaware saw the largest drop. If you are experiencing difficulty getting through to a representative for unemployment, paid family leave, or disability departments, eddcaller.com offers an autodial program that can assist you.