In order to qualify for unemployment benefits, UI Claimants need to meet basic criteria to maintain their eligibility.  Once the claimant has been declared monetarily eligible (they had enough earnings in the base period to qualify), they need to show the state that they are able and available for work and that they are actively seeking new employment.  The state workforce agencies monitor the claimant's work search activities each week to ensure that they remain eligible.

During the pandemic, state's temporarily waived the requirements for claimants to actively seek work in the interest of public safety and under the assumption that most claimant's would return to their prior positions once their employer resumed operations. All state have a work search requirement but the details can vary by state.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Click on the state icon to take you to the respective state information or view a table of this information found below the icons by clicking HERE.

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ALABAMA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Online or by phone

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 3                

Notes:  Claimant's must make a reasonable and active search for work through customary means for your occupation.

Online Work Search Reporting: https://alabamaworks.alabama.gov/vosnet/Default.aspx

 

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ALASKA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 1-2                

Notes:  TWO (2) work search contacts must be reported when: the worker lives in Alaska and is within 55 road miles of a job center; or resides in another state, Canada, Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
ONE (1) work search contact must be reported when: the worker lives more than 55 road miles from the nearest job center in rural Alaska.

Online Work Search Reporting:

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ARIZONA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Online

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 1 per day on 4 different days of the week   

Notes: A claimant’s work search should include trying to find work that they are suited for by experience, education and/or training. An adequate search for work is a sincere, consistent effort to find a job and is not just an attempt to remain eligible for benefits. Claimants should follow up general inquiries by making personal visits or by submitting applications and resumes.

Things that qualify for searching for work include:

• Registering with and contacting a union hiring or placement facility.
• Registering with a placement facility of a professional organization.
• Checking back with former employers who may have openings.
• Registering with a placement facility at a school, college or university for work.
• Taking a test for or applying for openings in civil service or a government agency.
• Registering for suitable work with a private employment agency or an employer’s placement facility.

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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ARKANSAS

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: 3-5 if the claimant resides in a statistical Metropolitan area, otherwise 2-4      

Notes:  If an application for unemployment benefits is filed by computer, the required number of contacts will be shown on the confirmation page

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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CALIFORNIA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: Exact requirements are provided by letter from CA EDD

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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COLORADO

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 5

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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CONNECTICUT

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 3 per week on at least 2 separate days

Notes: One of these must be an employer contact. The employer contacts may not be duplicated.

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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DELAWARE

Record Work Search Online or Log? Online/Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 1 new contact

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 2

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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FLORIDA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Online

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 5

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: https://fileaclaim.myflorida.com/app/1

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GEORGIA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Online/Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 3 new contacts

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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HAWAII

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 3

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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IDAHO

Record Work Search Online or Log? Online

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 2

Notes: These work search contacts cannot be self-employment or 1099 gig work.

Online Work Search Reporting: https://www2.labor.idaho.gov/ClaimantPortal

 

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ILLINOIS

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 2 per week and on at least 2 different days

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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INDIANA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 3

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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IOWA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 4

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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KANSAS

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 3

Notes: Two of those work search activities each week must be an application for employment or submission of a résumé

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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KENTUCKY

Record Work Search Online or Log? Online

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 3

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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LOUISIANA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 3

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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MAINE

Record Work Search Online or Log? Online/Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 1

Notes: Claimants can report both employers they have sought work from in the past week or the employer to which they will be returning

Online Work Search Reporting:  https://joblink.maine.gov/

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MARYLAND

Record Work Search Online or Log? Online

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 3

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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MASSACHUSETTS

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 3

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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MICHIGAN

Record Work Search Online or Log? Online/Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 2

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: https://miwam.unemployment.state.mi.us/ClmMiWAM/_/

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MINNESOTA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: Not Specified

Notes: If you have temporarily laid off an employee, the employee can meet work search requirements by staying in regular contact with you about when work will resume.

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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MISSISSIPPI

Record Work Search Online or Log? Online

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 3

Notes: An actual application must be completed with at least one of the three employer contacts

Online Work Search Reporting: https://mdes.ms.gov/unemployment-claims/benefit-information/worksearch-requirements/

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MISSOURI

Record Work Search Online or Log? Online

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 3

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: https://labor.mo.gov/DES/Employers/extended_waiver

 

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MONTANA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 1

Notes: The same employer may not be used for two (2) consecutive weeks, unless requested by the employer. Seeking self-employment does not meet your work search requirements.

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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NEBRASKA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Online

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 5 and two of the activities must be employment applications. If you are on Extended Benefits, three of the activities must be employment applications.

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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NEVADA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: Not specified but at least 3

Notes: Claimants MUST make a good faith effort to seek work the majority of each week they file for Unemployment Insurance Benefits and they must keep a detailed written record of the work search activities they perform each week.

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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NEW HAMPSHIRE

Record Work Search Online or Log? Online

Minimum Requirements per Week: Not specified

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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NEW JERSEY

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 2

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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NEW MEXICO

Record Work Search Online or Log? Online

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 2

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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NEW YORK

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 3

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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NORTH CAROLINA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 3

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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NORTH DAKOTA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 4

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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OHIO

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 2

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

 

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OKLAHOMA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 2

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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OREGON

Record Work Search Online or Log? Online

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 5

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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PENNSYLVANIA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 2

Notes: Work search requires the claimant to apply for two jobs and complete one work-search activity every week.

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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PUERTO RICO

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: Not specified

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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RHODE ISLAND

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 3

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

 

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SOUTH CAROLINA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Online

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 2

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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SOUTH DAKOTA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 2

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: https://sdeforms.na2.documents.adobe.com/public/esignWidget?wid=CBFCIBAA3AAABLblqZhAuMOhKT8OjIBO67PbNZbPylLkYeDb-Lz8rp3tOsqWd-N9FNlYyQyUlviVfvmNfZTc*

 

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TENNESSEE

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 3

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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TEXAS

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: 1-3 depending on the county of residence

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

 

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UTAH

Record Work Search Online or Log? Online

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 4

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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VERMONT

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 3

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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VIRGIN ISLANDS

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week:  At least 2

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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VIRGINIA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 2

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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WASHINGTON

Record Work Search Online or Log? Online/Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 3

Notes:

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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WEST VIRGINIA

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: Varies

Notes:  The number of weekly contacts that should be made depend upon the claimant's occupation and the condition of the labor market.

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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WISCONSIN

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 4

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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WYOMING

Record Work Search Online or Log? Log

Minimum Requirements per Week: At least 2

Notes: 

Online Work Search Reporting: 

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