Reporting new job to EDD before start date - do I still need to job search?

Congrats on the new job! You don't need to report the job offer to EDD until you actually start working. When you certify for the weeks before your start date, you'll answer "no" to the question about working and receiving income. Then, when you certify for the week you start working, you'll answer "yes" and report your earnings. As for job searching - technically yes, you ARE still required to meet the work search requirements until your last certification. EDD's rules don't have an exception for people with future job offers. You need to continue making at least 3 work search activities each week until you actually start working.

I was in the same boat last year! You actually DO need to keep doing job search activities until you officially start working. EDD doesn't care that you have a job lined up - only that you're not working yet. I just did the bare minimum - looked at job postings online and documented them. Took like 10 mins a week.

To add to what others have said, when you certify for the week you start working, make sure you report your earnings for that week (not your offer letter date). For job search activities, you can actually list things like "reviewed employee handbook" or "prepared for new position" as valid work search activities. Just document them properly. Also, don't forget to request your claim be closed after your last certification. This helps avoid confusion later if you ever need to file again. You can do this through UI Online by selecting "Stop Certification for Benefits" from your dashboard.

I went thru EXACTLY this last summer! Called EDD to ask about my job offer and them put me on hold for 3 HOURS only to disconnect me!! RIDICULOUS!!! Finally got thru two days later and they told me I still had to do job search until my actual start date. Something about "anything could happen before you actually start the job" 🙄 WASTE OF TIME but whatever, I just did what they said. And YES make sure to ACTUALLY report your income correctly when you start. They will check with your employer and the last thing you want is an overpayment notice.

congrats on the new job!! just make sure when u start working u report ur earnings correctly. my cousin had a similar situation and messed up the reporting - ended up with a fraud investigation! not fun!!

To answer your follow-up question about closing your claim - yes, there's a specific option. Log into UI Online, go to the main menu and look for "Contact EDD" or sometimes it's under "More Services." Then select "Stop Certifying for Benefits" from the drop-down menu. You'll get a confirmation message and should receive an email confirming your request. Regarding reporting earnings: report what you actually earned during the certification period, not when you get paid. For example, if you work Mon-Fri but don't get your first paycheck until 2 weeks later, you still report those earnings for the week you performed the work. This is a common mistake people make.

why is edd so complicated??? my girlfriend just went thru this whole thing and ended up with an interview cuz she didnt do her work search after getting her offer letter. such bs. just do the minimum search to check the boxes til ur actually working.

i had a job offer that fell thru last year after i stopped my certifications early. had to reopen my claim and it was a mess. dont close anything until u actually start!!

Just to summarize the correct approach for everyone: 1. Continue certifying normally until you start working 2. Continue doing and documenting work search activities until your last certification 3. On the certification that includes your first day of work, answer "yes" to working and report your gross earnings 4. Only close your claim after you've successfully started your new job 5. Keep documentation of everything (offer letter, first day confirmation, etc.) Congratulations again on the new position, and best of luck with the transition!