What counts as a work search activity for NYS Department of Labor unemployment weekly claims?

NYS Department of Labor accepts several types of work search activities. Online job applications definitely count, but you also need to keep detailed records. Other qualifying activities include attending job fairs, networking events, career workshops, meeting with employment counselors, and even creating or updating professional profiles on job sites like LinkedIn. Make sure you're logging the employer name, contact info, position applied for, and date for each activity.

You need to do at least 3 work search activities per week unless you're on standby status. Keep everything in a job search log - dates, company names, positions, how you applied. Don't just do online applications either, mix it up with in-person visits, phone calls to employers, attending virtual job fairs. NYS Department of Labor can audit your search activities so you want good documentation.

I've been having a nightmare trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about this exact question! The phone lines are always busy and when I do get through they just hang up on me. It's so frustrating when you just want to make sure you're doing everything right.

Just to add - if you're in certain training programs or have union hiring hall registration, those might count toward your work search too. But don't assume, always verify with NYS Department of Labor what applies to your specific situation.

ugh the whole work search thing is such a hassle, like we're not already stressed enough about finding jobs. At least now I know what counts, been doing mostly online apps but will try some other activities too

One thing that really helped me was keeping a simple spreadsheet with all my work search activities. I include columns for date, company name, position title, method of contact (online application, phone call, etc.), and any follow-up actions. NYS Department of Labor may ask for this documentation later, so having it organized from the start saves a lot of stress. Also, don't forget that informational interviews and reaching out to your professional network can count as valid work search activities too - they're not just looking for formal job applications.