RESEA minimum wage requirement on DE8531 form - how low should I go?

I went through RESEA last month. The "lowest acceptable wage" question is about establishing your reasonable salary expectations based on your skills and the job market. You should put a wage that you could realistically accept while continuing your job search. I was making $28/hr before layoff, and I put $24/hr as my minimum. The interviewer didn't question it because it was reasonable given my experience and local job market. They're not trying to force you into poverty wages - they just want to make sure you're being realistic. The law says you can't be forced to accept work that pays significantly less than your usual occupation. Generally, during the first few weeks of unemployment, you can limit your search to jobs paying 90% or more of your previous wage. As time goes on (after several months), you may need to consider jobs paying 75-80% of your previous wage. Be honest but reasonable with your answer. $27/hr (about 15% less than your previous wage) sounds perfectly fine.

omg i HATED that form!!! the whole RESEA thing made me so nervous i almost didnt sleep the night before. i put down $16/hr (i was making $19 before) and the lady told me that was too low for my field and experience!!! she literally made me change it to $18 during the interview and said i was "undervaluing myself" lol. so dont go too low either i guess?? the whole thing is like a weird game where u dont know the rules.

The DE8531 form and RESEA process isn't meant to trap you - it's actually designed to help you get back to work efficiently. For the wage question, the standard guidance is to set a realistic minimum based on: 1. Your skills, experience, and education 2. Current labor market conditions in your area 3. Wages typically paid for similar work in your location As a practical matter, I recommend researching current salary ranges for your position and setting your minimum around the 25th percentile for your experience level. For your situation ($32/hr previous wage in tech support), something around $26-27/hr would be reasonable. During the RESEA interview, be prepared to explain your reasoning. Having data from sites like Glassdoor or Indeed about current market rates for your position can be helpful. The interviewer won't push you to accept minimum wage jobs if you're qualified for higher-paying positions. You should also know that EDD's "suitable work" guidelines protect you from having to accept work that's substantially below your skill level or usual pay, especially early in your claim period.

when i did RESEA i just put wat i was makin at my last job lol. the interviewer lady gave me a weird look but didnt say nothin about it. probably depends on who u get for ur interview

I struggled to get through to EDD for weeks about questions on my RESEA forms. After 50+ failed calls, I tried using Claimyr (claimyr.com) and actually got connected to an EDD rep in about 20 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km that shows how it works. The rep explained that for the minimum wage question, you should typically list 10-20% below your previous wage rate as a reasonable range. They said putting a rate too low could actually work against you since it might suggest you're looking at completely different types of jobs than your experience qualifies you for.

The RESEA program is actually meant to help you find employment, not penalize you. When determining your minimum acceptable wage, consider: - Your financial needs (rent, bills, etc.) - Local cost of living - Your industry standards and experience level - Current market conditions In your case, a 15-20% reduction from your previous wage is perfectly reasonable. Remember, this isn't a binding contract - it's a starting point for discussion during your RESEA interview about your job search strategy. A common misconception is that EDD will force you to take any job above your stated minimum. This isn't true. Suitable work determinations consider multiple factors beyond just wage - including your skills, experience, commute distance, and more. Just be prepared to explain why you chose your minimum wage figure during the interview.

Just went through RESEA last month. put $25/hr (was making $30 before) & interview went fine. bring ur resume btw they'll want to look at it

WAIT does everyone have to do RESEA? i've been on unemployment for 2 months and havent heard anything about this?????? am i in trouble??

Just wanted to update everyone - I had my RESEA appointment yesterday and it went much better than expected! I ended up putting $27/hr as my minimum acceptable wage (about 15% less than my previous position), and the interviewer thought it was perfectly reasonable. The whole interview was actually pretty helpful - more focused on resources to help with my job search than trying to catch me doing something wrong. They reviewed my resume, gave me some good suggestions for job search strategies, and connected me with a few industry-specific resources I didn't know about. For anyone else stressing about RESEA - definitely prepare beforehand, but try not to overthink it. It's not nearly as intimidating as I expected. Thanks everyone for all your helpful advice!