DEO work search requirements after September 5th - waived or required?

The work search requirement is NOT waived anymore. After September 5th, you need to start logging your 5 work search activities per week. I just claimed my weeks yesterday and had to enter all my job contacts. The system now requires you to enter the details for each job you applied to - company name, contact info, position, application method, etc. Don't skip this step or your payments could be delayed!

Same boat as u, didn't know either!! Just claimed yesterday and skipped that part. Nobody tells us anything!!

According to the DEO website, work search requirements were reinstated on September 5th, 2025. You are required to complete and document 5 work search contacts per week if you live in a county with population over 75,000, or 3 contacts if you live in a smaller county. If you've already claimed weeks without reporting your work searches, you should call DEO right away to explain and see if they can let you add that information retroactively. The CONNECT system should have displayed a notification about this when you logged in, but many people have reported not seeing clear instructions. For future weeks, make sure to keep detailed records of all your job applications including company name, position, contact person, phone number, email, and method of contact.

I had this same problem last month and tried calling DEO for days with no success. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a DEO agent in about 25 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj The agent I spoke with was actually really helpful and let me submit my missing work search activities by email. She said as long as I could prove I was actually looking for work during those weeks, they could add the information to my claim. Definitely worth getting this fixed ASAP before they put a hold on your payments.

my cousin works for unemployment office and she told me they're being super strict about work searches now. they're randomly auditing people and if you cant prove you applied they can make you pay back ALL your benefits!!! not trying to scare anyone but just be careful

Just to make sure everyone has the correct information - work search IS required now and has been since September 5th. You need to report 5 work search activities when you claim your weeks (3 if you're in a small county). Here's what counts as valid work search activities: - Submitting job applications/resumes - Going to job interviews - Registering with employment agencies - Going to CareerSource workshops - Attending job fairs Make sure you keep records of everything. I use a simple spreadsheet with columns for date, company name, position, contact person, phone/email, and how I applied. This has saved me twice during random DEO audits!

This happened to me last month too I claimed without putting work searches and my payment got delayed for 3 weeks!!! When I finally got through to someone they said I had to do the work searches retroactively and send proof. Such a hassle for no reason!!!!

One more thing to note - if you're on Extended Benefits or in a DEO-approved training program, different rules might apply. Also, some claimants may qualify for exemptions from work search requirements under specific circumstances (like if you have a verifiable job return date within 8 weeks). If you think you might qualify for an exemption, you should document your situation thoroughly and be prepared to explain during any potential review of your claim. The safest approach is to complete and record your work searches anyway unless you've received explicit confirmation of a waiver from DEO.