What the weekly request asks
Federal law makes being able to work, available for work and actively seeking work a condition of eligibility for every week of regular unemployment benefits (42 U.S.C. 503(a)(12)). That is why each weekly request asks about:
- Whether you were able and available to work each day
- Your work search activities for the week
- Any job offers you refused
- Gross earnings from any work, and other income such as vacation or severance pay
Steps
- Log in to your state's unemployment site or call its claims line on the day your state assigns.
- Answer the questions for the week or weeks you are requesting.
- Report work search contacts as your state requires.
- Save the confirmation. If a payment stops, call the claims line or visit a job center that helps with claims.
Work search rule by state
| State | Work search requirement |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Look for work every week you claim benefits. The state does not publish a fixed number of contacts in the source we checked. |
| Alaska | Two work search activities a week if you live within 55 road miles of a job center or outside Alaska; one a week if you live more than 55 miles away in rural Alaska, unless waived. Keep a record of your contacts. |
| Arizona | At least four work search contacts on four different days each week, recorded, unless you are exempt. |
| Arkansas | The Division assigns the number of contacts based on your experience, skills and the local job market; there is no single statewide quota. Keep proof as instructed. |
| California | Follow the work search instructions on your Notice of Unemployment Insurance Award (DE 429Z). There is no single statewide quota in the source we checked. |
| Colorado | Do verifiable job search activities every week and keep employer details and proof. No fixed weekly number is published in the source we checked. |
| Connecticut | Three work search activities a week, at least one of them an employer contact. Report them when you certify and keep proof for three years. Exemptions exist. |
| Delaware | At least one new work search contact each week, reporting the employer, address, job, date and result. |
| District of Columbia | Two verifiable contacts every week, with a record kept; exemptions may apply. |
| Florida | Five work search contacts a week; three if you live in a county with fewer than 75,000 people. Exemptions exist for union members, recall and approved training. |
| Georgia | Three new, verifiable work search contacts a week unless exempt, submitted online or by fax with your weekly certification. |
| Hawaii | At least three work search contacts a week; check exemptions and register in HireNet Hawaii. |
| Idaho | Five work search actions a week, even if you work part time, and registration in IdahoWorks (or your home state's job service). |
| Illinois | Actively look for work, register in IllinoisJobLink and keep a record. No fixed weekly number in the source we checked. |
| Indiana | Two work search activities a week; keep proof for six months. Exemptions for approved training, recall or an authorized hiring hall. |
| Iowa | Four reemployment activities a week, at least three of them job applications, unless waived. Record and certify them in IowaWORKS. |
| Kansas | Three work search activities a week, at least one an application or resume sent to an employer. Keep proof. |
| Kentucky | Five verifiable work search activities a week; three must be formal applications or interviews. Exemptions exist. |
| Louisiana | Claims filed on or after January 4, 2026: five work search activities a week. Claims filed before that date: three. |
| Maine | At least one work search activity a week, reported when you certify, plus an active Maine JobLink account. Browsing job ads without applying does not count. |
| Maryland | Three work search activities a week, one of them a direct employer contact. Document them in Maryland Workforce Exchange and certify in BEACON. |
| Massachusetts | Three work search activities a week while you claim, unless you are in DUA-approved training. |
| Michigan | Three unique work search activities a week, registration with Michigan Works and in-person or virtual verification. The requirement increased in July 2026. |
| Minnesota | Actively look for suitable work every week. If your benefit is based on part-time work you may limit your search to part-time jobs. No fixed weekly number is published. |
| Mississippi | Three employer contacts a week if you seek full-time work, at least one with an application or resume. Record them when you certify. |
| Missouri | Three work search activities a week unless exempt or told otherwise by the Division. Record them in UInteract. |
| Montana | One employer contact a week with an application or resume to someone who can hire, plus active Job Service registration. Keep proof for three years. Waivers exist. |
| Nebraska | Five work search activities a week, two of them job applications, unless you are told you are waived. |
| Nevada | A good-faith work search for most of each week, with a detailed written record. No fixed number of contacts is published. |
| New Hampshire | Look for suitable work unless exempt. State law sets no fixed number, but the office can assign one. |
| New Jersey | Actively look for work every week and keep your contacts in case the agency asks. No fixed weekly number in the source we checked. |
| New Mexico | Two different work search contacts a week unless exempt, with a detailed record kept (the state page and an official form disagree on how many years to keep it: five or seven). |
| New York | Three work search activities a week, with a record, unless an exception or a different approved plan applies. |
| North Carolina | Three work search contacts a week; one can be a reemployment activity in NCWorks. Record them in MyNCUIBenefits before you certify, and register in NCWorks. |
| North Dakota | The weekly certification asks whether you made the required number of contacts. The exact number is not published in the source we checked. |
| Ohio | Two work search activities a week, documented in your weekly claim, plus OhioMeansJobs reemployment tasks. |
| Oklahoma | Two work search efforts every week with a record kept, plus registration and a posted resume in EmployOklahoma. |
| Oregon | Five work search activities a week, at least two of them direct employer contacts; exemptions exist. |
| Pennsylvania | Usually from your third week: two job applications and one work search activity a week, PA CareerLink registration within 30 days, and proof kept. |
| Rhode Island | Three work search activities a week; if you work part time you must also look for full-time work. |
| South Carolina | Two job searches a week inside SC Works Online Services (SCWOS); only searches done in that system count. |
| South Dakota | A good-faith search for full-time work as instructed by Reemployment Assistance, even if you work reduced hours. The exact number is not published in the source we checked. |
| Tennessee | Four job searches a week unless waived. Check which activities count and keep a record. |
| Texas | Meet the weekly minimum TWC sends you in writing and keep weekly records. There is no single number confirmed for all of Texas. |
| Utah | Four new employer contacts a week for full-time work unless told otherwise, including your waiting week. |
| Vermont | Three approved contacts or activities a week, reported when you certify, plus a Vermont JobLink profile. Do not repeat the same contact within five weeks. |
| Virginia | Two work search contacts a week, a record kept, and registration in Virginia Workforce Connection within ten days. |
| Washington | Three work search activities a week, recorded. Survivors of domestic violence or stalking recognized by ESD: one approved activity a week. |
| West Virginia | State law requires at least four work search activities a week unless an exception applies; check your claim instructions. |
| Wisconsin | Four work search actions a week unless waived, recorded in the portal or when you certify. |
| Wyoming | Contact at least two employers a week and keep a detailed record. |
Each rule comes from the state's official unemployment source, checked October 30, 2026; it is linked on each state page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to file every week?
You must request benefits for every week you want to be paid, on the schedule your state gives you.
What if I worked part of the week?
Report your gross earnings for that week. Your state decides how they change the payment for that week.
How many job contacts do I need?
It depends on the state; the table above lists each state rule from its official source.
Sources
42 U.S.C. 503 (Social Security Act sec. 303): fair hearing, able and available, worker profiling. Checked October 31, 2026.
State figures: each state's official unemployment agency, linked on its state page.