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!

Just wanted to add one more thing that might be helpful - when you're doing your required work search activities while waiting to start your new job, you can actually be pretty creative with what counts. I did things like "researched company culture at new employer," "reviewed industry trends relevant to new position," and "networked with future colleagues on LinkedIn." EDD accepted all of these as valid work search activities. Just make sure you document the date, company/website, and specific activity for each one. This way you're staying compliant but also doing something that's actually useful for your upcoming role!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure to keep your offer letter and any other documentation from your new employer! If EDD ever questions your work search activities or employment timeline, having that paperwork can save you a lot of headaches. I'd also recommend taking screenshots of your job search activities as you do them, just in case you need to provide additional proof later. The EDD system can be pretty picky about documentation, so better to have too much than not enough. And honestly, doing the minimum 3 work searches per week isn't that bad - I usually just spent Sunday mornings knocking them all out at once. Good luck with the new position!

Congrats on landing the new job! I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago. Here's what I learned the hard way - you MUST continue doing your work search activities until you actually start working, even with a signed offer letter. I thought I could skip it once I had the job lined up and ended up getting flagged for an eligibility interview. Total nightmare. For reporting, don't report anything to EDD until you actually start working and earning money. When you do your bi-weekly certification for the week you start, that's when you'll answer "yes" to working and report your gross earnings for just that week. One tip that saved me time - you can count job preparation activities as work search. I did things like "researched new company policies," "reviewed employee handbook," and "prepared materials for first day." Just document everything with dates and specifics. Way more useful than applying to random jobs you don't want! Also keep all your paperwork (offer letter, start date confirmation, etc.) - EDD loves their documentation. Good luck with the new role!

Great advice from everyone here! Just wanted to add something that might help - when you're documenting your work search activities, be specific about what you did and where. Instead of just writing "job search online," write something like "researched marketing coordinator positions on Indeed.com" or "reviewed job requirements for digital marketing roles on LinkedIn." EDD can be really picky about vague documentation, and having specific details makes it much easier if they ever ask for clarification. I always kept a simple spreadsheet with columns for date, activity type, company/website, and brief description. Took maybe 2 minutes per activity to log but saved me tons of stress later. Also, since you mentioned you're starting at a marketing firm - you could definitely count things like "researched current digital marketing trends" or "studied new marketing tools relevant to position" as valid work search activities. Just make sure each activity is aimed at finding or preparing for work, and you're golden!

Hey Nathan! Huge congrats on the new marketing position! 🎉 I just went through this exact situation a few months ago and wanted to share what worked for me. Everyone here has given you solid advice about continuing work search until you actually start working - that part is unfortunately non-negotiable. But here's a pro tip that made it way less painful: I created a "New Job Prep" folder on my computer and used my required work search time productively. Some activities I logged that EDD accepted: - "Researched [Company Name] recent marketing campaigns and client case studies" - "Reviewed industry salary benchmarks for marketing roles in California" - "Studied Google Analytics certification requirements for new position" - "Researched professional development opportunities in digital marketing" This way I was staying compliant with EDD rules while actually preparing for success in my new role. Way better than mindlessly scrolling job boards! Also, definitely keep that offer letter handy and don't close your claim until after you've successfully started and received your first paycheck. I've seen too many people get burned when job start dates get pushed back or offers fall through. You've got this! The bureaucratic stuff is annoying but it's temporary. Focus on that exciting new chapter ahead! 💪

Just want to echo what everyone's saying about keeping up with work search requirements - I made the mistake of thinking my signed offer letter was enough and stopped doing the activities. Big mistake! Got called in for an eligibility review and had to provide documentation for everything. Thankfully I had kept some records, but it was still a stressful week waiting to hear back. One thing that really helped me was setting up a simple routine: every Tuesday I'd spend 30 minutes doing all three required activities for the week. I'd research industry trends, look up salary info for similar positions, and check out company culture reviews on sites like Glassdoor. Made it feel less like busywork and more like I was actually learning something useful. Also, when you do start your new job, double-check that your employer reports your hire date correctly to the state. Sometimes there are delays in their reporting system, and you don't want any confusion about when you actually stopped receiving benefits. Keep your own records of your first day and first paycheck just in case! Best of luck with the marketing position - sounds like an awesome opportunity! 🎉

Congrats on the new marketing position! 🎉 I just wanted to add one quick tip that saved me a lot of stress - when you're doing your work search activities while waiting to start, consider reaching out to your new employer's HR department to ask if they have any recommended reading or training materials you could review before your start date. I did this when I was in a similar situation and not only did it count as a legitimate work search activity ("contacted new employer regarding pre-employment preparation materials"), but HR was actually impressed that I was being proactive! They sent me some company training videos and industry reports that made my first week so much smoother. Plus it shows initiative and helps you hit the ground running. Just make sure to document the contact and what materials they provided. Good luck with everything!

Just wanted to share my recent experience with this exact situation! I had a job offer with a start date about 6 weeks out, and I was so confused about the work search requirements too. Here's what I learned: You absolutely MUST continue doing work search activities until your actual start date - EDD doesn't care that you have a signed offer letter. I called them to confirm and the rep told me "anything can happen between now and when you start working, so you need to keep looking." Frustrating but that's the rule. However, I found some creative ways to make it productive: - "Researched salary negotiation strategies for marketing professionals" - "Completed LinkedIn Learning course on digital marketing trends" - "Attended virtual networking event for marketing professionals" These counted as valid work search activities AND actually helped me prepare for my new role. Way better than applying to random jobs! Also, set up a simple tracking system now - I used a basic Google Sheet with date, activity, company/website, and brief description. Takes 2 minutes to log each activity but will save you if EDD ever asks for documentation. One last tip: don't report anything to EDD until you actually start working and earning money. Your offer letter doesn't count as income until you're actually on the payroll. Congrats again and good luck! The bureaucratic stuff is annoying but temporary - focus on that exciting new chapter ahead! 🎉

Congratulations on landing the marketing position! This is such a common situation and you're smart to ask about it upfront. Based on my experience, here are the key things to remember: 1. **Keep doing work search activities until you actually start working** - I know it feels pointless, but EDD requires it regardless of having a job offer. I learned this the hard way when I got flagged for an interview after stopping my searches early. 2. **Get creative with your work search activities** - Since you're starting at a marketing firm, you can count things like "researched current social media marketing trends," "studied new marketing automation tools," or "reviewed case studies from leading marketing agencies." This way you're being productive while staying compliant. 3. **Don't report anything to EDD until your first day of work** - Your offer letter isn't considered income until you're actually on payroll. When you certify for the week you start working, that's when you'll answer "yes" to working and report your gross earnings. 4. **Keep all your documentation** - Save your offer letter, any communication about your start date, and log all your work search activities with specific details (date, website/company, activity description). 5. **Don't close your claim until after you've successfully started** - I've seen people get burned when start dates get pushed back or offers fall through. The whole process is bureaucratic but manageable if you follow the rules. Focus on making those required work search activities beneficial for your new role. You've got this! 🎉

Congratulations on the new job! 🎉 I went through this exact situation about a year ago and can confirm what others have said - you definitely need to keep doing work search activities until you actually start working, even with a signed offer letter. What helped me was treating it as prep time for my new role. I did activities like "researched marketing industry best practices," "reviewed Adobe Creative Suite tutorials for upcoming position," and "studied competitor analysis techniques." EDD accepted all of these, and they actually made me feel more prepared when I started! For the reporting side, don't mention the job offer on your certifications until you're actually working and earning money. When you certify for the week containing your first day of work, that's when you'll answer "yes" to the work question and report your gross earnings for just that week. One thing I wish someone had told me - take screenshots of your work search activities as you do them! I kept a simple notes app on my phone where I'd jot down "Date: 3/15, Activity: Researched email marketing trends on HubSpot blog, Duration: 30 mins" right after doing each one. Made certification much easier. Also, definitely keep that offer letter and any other paperwork handy. The whole process feels unnecessarily complicated, but following the rules exactly will save you headaches later. Good luck with the marketing position - sounds like an awesome opportunity!

Congrats on the new marketing job! 🎉 I just want to echo what everyone else has said and add one more practical tip that really helped me when I was in the same boat last year. Since you mentioned it's a marketing position, you can absolutely turn your required work search activities into valuable prep work. I did things like "researched Google Ads certification requirements," "studied marketing analytics dashboards," and "reviewed content marketing strategies on industry blogs." EDD counted all of these as legitimate work search activities, and they genuinely helped me perform better in my new role. I'd also recommend setting up a recurring calendar reminder to do your 3 work searches on the same day each week - I used Sunday mornings with coffee. Having a routine made it feel less like a chore and more like professional development time. Just remember: keep certifying normally, keep doing work search until you actually start working, and only report income when you're actually earning it. Save all your documentation (offer letter, work search logs, etc.) and you'll be golden. The rules seem annoying but they're pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it. Best of luck with the transition - marketing is such an exciting field and June will be here before you know it! 🚀