EDD travel rules - Will looking for jobs in other CA cities affect my unemployment benefits?

You're asking a really good question! The key thing with EDD is being "able and available" for work. As long as you're actively looking for work and available for interviews (even remote ones), you should be fine traveling within California. You don't need to report in-state travel unless it would prevent you from accepting suitable work. The rule about travel is meant to catch people going on vacations when they should be job hunting. Since you're specifically traveling TO job hunt, and aren't turning down interviews, you're meeting your obligations. Just keep certifying accurately about your work search activities each week.

actually u do have 2 report travel even in-state if ur gone for more than 3 days!! my cousin got in trouble for not saying he was in san diego for a week even tho he was still in CA. EDD wants u at ur home address ready to work, not traveling around

I went through this EXACT situation last year! I was a remote worker who got laid off and wanted to look for jobs in different areas. When I called EDD (took forever to get through btw), they told me that as long as I was actively looking for work AND available to accept work, I didn't need to report traveling within California. The key is that you can't use travel as an excuse to turn down job offers or interviews. Also make sure you're doing your required work search activities and documenting them carefully.

This is slightly more complicated than some are suggesting. While EDD doesn't explicitly prohibit in-state travel, the real requirement is that you must be able and available for work each day you claim benefits. If your travel would prevent you from accepting suitable work, you should indicate you were not available on those days when certifying. However, given that you previously worked remotely and are specifically traveling to expand job opportunities, you have a reasonable case for maintaining your "available for work" status. Just make sure you can accept interviews (even virtually) and can start work if offered while traveling.

BTW if ur struggling to get clear answers from EDD directly u might wanna try Claimyr. I was in a similar situation (not about travel but had questions about my remote work history) and couldn't get thru to anyone at EDD for WEEKS. A friend recommended Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they got me connected to an EDD rep in like 30 min. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km I actually asked the EDD rep about travel within CA and they confirmed what others are saying - it's about being available for work, not about where you physically are in the state. Just document your job search activities thoroughly.

RIDICULOUS how confusing EDD makes all this!!!! i got PENALIZED last year because i went to lake tahoe for 5 days (still in california!!) and didn't report it, even though i was applying for jobs the whole time and had my laptop to do interviews!!!! the whole system is designed to trip us up, i swear. now i'm stuck with 6 penalty weeks where i don't get paid even though i qualify. DON'T TRUST WHAT PEOPLE SAY ONLINE - CALL EDD AND GET IT IN WRITING!!!!

hey wanted to share my experience as some1 who traveled for job hunting while on unemployment... i was staying with friends in diff cities for job interviews and networking last year. i didnt report anything about my travel since i was still in CA and was actually MORE available for work since i was literally going to interviews lol. never had any issues with my claim. kept getting my payments no problem. just make sure ur still doing ur job search requirements every week.

wait i'm confused now. so u dont have to tell EDD ur traveling but u still have to say ur available for work? what if ur driving all day to another city?? r u still "available" then?

I want to add an important clarification: When certifying for benefits, one of the questions asks if there was any reason (other than sickness or injury) that you could not accept full-time work each workday. The legal standard is whether you were "able and available" for work. In your case, as someone who previously worked remotely from multiple locations, traveling within California to actively search for work would generally not make you unavailable for work, especially if you remain accessible for communications with potential employers and could start work if offered. Just make sure you're completing all required work search activities and documenting them thoroughly.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who's dealt with similar uncertainty! I was also a remote worker who got laid off and had questions about travel while job searching. What really helped me was keeping a detailed log of everything - not just job applications, but also networking events, informational interviews, even LinkedIn messages I sent while traveling between cities. One thing I learned is that EDD's primary concern is whether you're genuinely looking for work and available to accept it, not your exact physical location within California. Since you're specifically traveling TO job hunt (not for leisure), you're actually demonstrating more commitment to finding work, not less. My advice: Keep detailed records of every job search activity during your travels, stay reachable by phone/email for potential employers, and make sure you can realistically start work if offered. The fact that you worked remotely before actually strengthens your case that location flexibility doesn't interfere with your availability for work. Good luck with your search!

Great question! I actually went through something similar when I was laid off from my tech job earlier this year. The key thing to remember is that EDD's main concern is whether you're "able and available" for work - not your exact location within California. Since you previously worked remotely from multiple locations, you have a strong case for traveling within the state for job search purposes. I traveled to SF, LA, and San Diego over several weeks to attend networking events and interviews, and never had any issues with my benefits. The important thing is to maintain your work search activities and document everything thoroughly. Keep records of applications you submit, networking events you attend, and any interviews you have while traveling. One tip: Make sure you're always reachable by phone/email and could realistically start work if offered. As long as you're not using travel as an excuse to turn down suitable job opportunities, you should be fine. The travel restrictions people worry about are more about going out of state or taking actual vacations where you're not job searching. Since the job market is so competitive right now, expanding your search geographically is actually a smart strategy. Just stay focused on your job search activities and keep good records!

I'm in a very similar boat - recently laid off from a remote position and considering traveling within CA to expand my job search opportunities. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful! What I'm taking away is that the key is demonstrating you're actively job searching and remaining available for work, not necessarily staying put in one location. Since we both have remote work backgrounds, we have a good case for location flexibility not interfering with our ability to work. Madison, I'd suggest keeping a really detailed log of your activities while traveling - applications submitted, networking events attended, people you meet with, even LinkedIn connections made. That way if EDD ever questions anything, you have clear documentation that your travel was specifically for expanding job opportunities. One question for those who've done this - did you find certain cities more receptive to remote workers, or were you mainly looking at hybrid/in-person roles when you traveled? I'm trying to decide which CA cities to prioritize for my own search trips. Good luck with your travels and job hunt! The market is definitely tough right now, but expanding our search geographically seems like a smart move.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation - laid off from a remote marketing role and considering traveling within CA for networking and job opportunities. What really stands out to me from everyone's experiences is that the key isn't avoiding travel, but rather demonstrating genuine job search efforts and maintaining availability for work. I love the suggestions about detailed documentation - I'm definitely going to create that spreadsheet tracking all activities, contacts, and applications while traveling. It seems like having that paper trail not only helps with EDD compliance but also makes you more organized and effective in your job search. For those who successfully traveled and found jobs - did you give potential employers a heads up that you were currently traveling within the state for job searching? I'm wondering if being transparent about actively expanding my search geographically might actually be viewed positively by employers, showing initiative and flexibility. The job market is so tough right now that it feels like we need every advantage we can get. Expanding the search geographically while staying compliant with EDD seems like a smart strategy. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's really helped clarify what seemed like a confusing situation!

I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago when I was laid off from my remote software engineering role! The confusion around travel rules is so real, but here's what I learned after speaking directly with an EDD representative: The key distinction is between "travel for leisure" vs "travel for work search purposes." Since you're specifically traveling to expand your job opportunities and you have a history of remote work, you're actually demonstrating MORE commitment to finding employment, not less. What really helped me was creating a daily log during my travels that included: job applications submitted, networking events attended, informational interviews conducted, LinkedIn outreach sent, and any employer communications received. I kept this log both for my own organization and as documentation that my travel was genuinely work-search focused. One thing that made my case stronger was that I could show EDD I remained fully available for work - I took phone screens while in coffee shops in different cities, did video interviews from my hotels, and even had a same-day in-person interview opportunity that I was able to accept because I was already in the area. The bottom line: as long as you're meeting your weekly work search requirements, staying accessible to potential employers, and can accept suitable work if offered, traveling within California for job search purposes should not affect your benefits. Just document everything thoroughly and stay focused on genuine job search activities. Best of luck with your search - expanding geographically was definitely the right move for me in this competitive market!

This whole thread has been such a lifesaver! As someone who was also laid off from a remote position recently, I was stressing about the same travel questions. What really clicks for me after reading everyone's experiences is that EDD cares about your intent and actions, not your exact GPS coordinates within California. The documentation approach everyone's mentioning is brilliant - I'm going to start tracking everything in detail before I begin my own travel job search. It sounds like having that paper trail not only protects you with EDD but actually makes you more organized and effective in your networking efforts. One thing I'm curious about - for those who traveled to multiple cities, did you find it better to plan longer stays (like a week per city) to really dive deep into the local market, or shorter trips (2-3 days) to cover more ground? I'm trying to figure out the most strategic approach since I want to be thorough but also efficient with my time and resources. Madison, thanks for asking this question! You've helped so many of us who were in the same confused situation. The consensus seems clear - travel within CA for genuine job search purposes while maintaining availability for work is totally fine, just document everything thoroughly.

This thread has been incredibly reassuring! I'm also a recent layoff from a remote position and have been paralyzed by fear about potentially violating EDD rules while trying to expand my job search. Reading everyone's experiences has given me the confidence to move forward with my own travel plans. What strikes me most is how consistent everyone's advice has been: focus on genuine job search activities, maintain availability for work opportunities, and document everything thoroughly. The fact that multiple people have successfully done this without issues really puts my mind at ease. I'm particularly grateful for the practical tips like creating detailed daily logs, staying reachable for employer communications, and framing travel as demonstrating MORE commitment to finding work rather than less. The suggestion to use spreadsheets for tracking activities and networking contacts is brilliant - it serves both EDD compliance and career development purposes. For those still worried about this, it seems like the key insight is that EDD's "able and available" standard is about your commitment and availability to work, not your physical location within California. As remote workers, we already have a strong precedent for location flexibility not interfering with our ability to perform our jobs. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - you've turned what felt like an impossible situation into a clear path forward. Time to start planning those networking trips with confidence!

I've been following this discussion closely as someone who's also navigating unemployment after being laid off from a remote role, and I wanted to add my perspective. What's really stood out to me is how this thread has evolved from initial confusion to a clear consensus backed by multiple real experiences. The key takeaway seems to be that EDD's focus is on whether you're genuinely seeking work and available to accept it - not policing your exact location within California. For those of us with remote work backgrounds, we already have a track record of location flexibility not interfering with job performance. What I find most valuable from everyone's shared experiences is the emphasis on documentation and maintaining genuine availability. Creating detailed logs of job search activities, staying responsive to employer communications, and being ready to accept suitable work opportunities - these behaviors demonstrate exactly what EDD wants to see from benefit recipients. I'm planning to implement the spreadsheet approach that several people mentioned for tracking applications, networking events, and contacts across different cities. It seems like this not only provides EDD compliance documentation but also makes the job search more strategic and organized. The fact that multiple people have successfully traveled within CA for job search purposes without any benefit issues gives me confidence that this is a viable strategy in today's competitive market. Sometimes expanding your search geographically is exactly what's needed to find the right opportunity. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community support makes navigating these uncertain times so much more manageable!