Confused about PA UC weekly work search activities beyond job applications - what counts?

The work search activity is separate from the two job applications. Pennsylvania UC considers these as acceptable work search activities: - Attending a job fair - Creating or posting your resume on PA CareerLink - Taking a civil service test - Participating in workshops at PA CareerLink - Using an employment agency or headhunter - Taking a class related to your job skills - Creating a personal business card - Networking with professional organizations in your field You need to document the date and what activity you did. Keep records for 2 years in case they audit you. For example, if you posted your resume on CareerLink, save the confirmation email.

wait dont u get a email from PAcareerlink evry week to do a workshop? i thought that was the thing they meant. i been doing that and 2 job applications and my claims r going thru fine

i was confused about this too lol. i just go on indeed and apply to 3 jobs each week and call it a day. been getting paid with no issues for like 2 months now, but maybe im just lucky?? 🤷‍♀️

To clarify what counts for the weekly work search activity, here's the full list directly from the PA UC website: - Attending a job fair - Searching for positions on job search websites - Creating and uploading a resume to a job board - Establishing or updating a LinkedIn profile - Taking a civil service test - Participating in a workshop (online or in-person) - Networking events related to your field - Meeting with a career counselor You need to document the date, what activity you did, and any relevant details (like the website where you posted your resume). This documentation is crucial if you're ever audited.

When I was on UC last year I had the same confusion! I ended up getting through to an agent who told me posting your resume on JobGateway or PA CareerLink is the easiest way to satisfy the work search activity requirement. Just make sure to save the confirmation email as proof. They seem to audit randomly, so better safe than sorry!

If you're worried you haven't been meeting the requirements, you should start doing proper work search activities immediately going forward. The easiest one is probably creating/updating your profile on PA CareerLink. As for past weeks, they don't usually audit everyone, but if they do audit you and find you weren't in compliance, you might have to pay back benefits for those weeks. It's your call whether to proactively report this to them or just ensure compliance going forward.

ppl r saying look at PA CareerLink but their website is sooooo buggy for me, anyone else? it keeps logging me out when i try to do anything

If you're trying to reach the UC office to ask about this, GOOD LUCK! I spent THREE WEEKS trying to get through on the phone. By the time I finally talked to someone, I'd already missed out on four weeks of benefits that they wouldn't backdate. The whole system is DESIGNED to make you fail!

One important thing to know: when you file your weekly certification, there's now a section where you need to report your work search activities. You'll need to input: 1. The dates you applied for 2 jobs 2. Company names and contact info 3. The date and type of your additional work search activity If you've been skipping the work search activity, the system might have been letting you proceed anyway (which explains why some people haven't had issues), but technically you're not in compliance with the requirements.

After researching this thoroughly for my own claim, I can confirm that you absolutely need to do BOTH the two job applications AND one work search activity every week starting with week 3 of your benefit year. I recommend creating a spreadsheet to track everything since they can audit you for up to two years after your claim. For the work search activity, I find the easiest ones are: 1. Updating your resume on PA CareerLink 2. Taking their free online workshops 3. Creating job alerts on job search sites (this counts!) Hope this helps!

This is such great information everyone! I'm new to UC and was making the same mistake as Sofia - just doing job applications and thinking that was enough. Quick question for those who've been through this: if I start doing the work search activities correctly now (I'm only on week 5), should I be worried about the previous weeks where I only did job applications? I'm getting really anxious about having to pay anything back since I genuinely didn't understand the requirements. Also, does anyone know if attending virtual job fairs counts the same as in-person ones? I saw a few virtual ones coming up that might be easier for me to attend. Thanks for all the helpful advice - this community is a lifesaver!

Just want to add my experience for anyone still confused about this! I was in the exact same situation as Sofia a few months ago - doing 2+ job applications weekly but completely missing the separate work search activity requirement. What saved me was discovering that PA CareerLink has tons of FREE online workshops that count perfectly for this requirement. They have sessions on resume writing, interview skills, LinkedIn optimization, etc. The best part is they're usually 30-45 minutes and you get an automatic certificate of completion that serves as your documentation. I've been doing one workshop per week for the past 3 months and haven't had any issues with my claims. Plus honestly, some of them have actually been helpful for my job search! You can find them under the "Events" section on the PA CareerLink website. For anyone worried about past weeks - I wouldn't stress too much. Just start complying correctly now and keep detailed records going forward. The majority of people don't get audited, and if you do, showing good faith compliance from a certain point forward usually helps your case. Stay strong everyone - we'll get through this confusing system together! 💪

I was literally in the same exact situation last month! The PA UC requirements are so confusing and nowhere does it clearly explain that the "work search activity" is separate from job applications. Here's what I've learned works well for the weekly work search activity: - PA CareerLink workshops (like others mentioned) - super easy and you get a certificate - Creating job alerts on Indeed, Monster, etc. - takes 2 minutes and counts! - Updating your LinkedIn profile - just add a skill or change your summary - Posting/updating your resume on job boards - save the confirmation email The key is DOCUMENTATION. I keep a simple Google doc with dates, what I did, and any confirmation emails or screenshots. For your past weeks, honestly I'd just start complying correctly now. Tons of people have been in this situation and most don't get audited. The system is inconsistent but as long as you're doing it right going forward, you should be fine. Pro tip: set a reminder on your phone each week so you don't forget the work search activity. I do mine every Monday morning right after applying to jobs. You've got this! 💪

I've been following this thread and wanted to share something that might help everyone who's been confused about this! I called the PA UC office last week (after many attempts) and the agent clarified that when you're doing your weekly certification online, there's actually a specific section where you log your work search activities. What I learned is that you need to enter: - Date and details for each of your 2 job applications - Date and type of your additional work search activity (workshop, resume update, etc.) The agent told me that as long as you're entering something for the work search activity going forward, you should be fine. She said they understand the requirements weren't clearly explained initially and they're more concerned with current compliance than retroactively penalizing people who were genuinely confused. For anyone still worried about documentation, she recommended keeping a simple log with dates and activities, but said the main thing is just making sure you complete the certification fully each week. Hope this helps ease some anxiety!

As someone who just went through this exact same confusion a few weeks ago, I totally feel your panic! The PA UC website is honestly terrible at explaining this clearly. I had the same realization around week 6 that I was only doing job applications and completely missing the separate work search activity requirement. Here's what I've been doing since then that's worked really well: **Easy weekly work search activities:** - Taking PA CareerLink's free online workshops (usually 30-45 mins, you get a certificate) - Creating job alerts on different sites (Indeed, LinkedIn, Monster - literally takes 2 minutes) - Updating your resume or LinkedIn profile (add a skill, tweak your summary) - Posting your resume to a new job board I keep a simple spreadsheet tracking: date, activity type, and proof (screenshot, confirmation email, certificate). Takes 5 minutes but gives me peace of mind. For your past weeks, honestly I wouldn't stress too much. The system seems inconsistent about audits, and several people here have said agents are understanding about the initial confusion. Just start doing it correctly now and document everything going forward. The PA CareerLink workshops have actually been surprisingly helpful for my job search too! You can find them under "Events" on their website. Hang in there - once you get into a routine with this it becomes automatic! 💪