PA UC CareerLink registration confusion - Individual or Claimant option? Work search activities explained

You should register as BOTH! First, register as an 'Individual seeking Employment' to create your basic profile. Then, you can link your UC claim by selecting the option for UC claimants in your profile settings. As for work search activities, applying for jobs is just one type. You can also count: attending job fairs, creating a resume, posting your resume on job boards, taking job skills workshops, having job interviews, and even networking with professional contacts about job opportunities. PA requires at least one of your weekly activities to be an actual job application though. Make sure you document all these with dates, employer names, websites, etc.

i just went thru this last month. pick individual seeking employment first, the system is werid. you have to make the regular account before it lets you do the UC part

Since no one fully answered your work search question yet - here are all the activities that qualify for PA UC work search requirements: 1. Applying for a job (must do at least 1 per week) 2. Attending a job fair (virtual counts too) 3. Creating or posting a resume on PA CareerLink or other job sites 4. Contacting an employer for an interview 5. Taking a civil service test 6. Participating in a workshop or job search program 7. Using PA CareerLink's job match feature You need to do at least 2 total activities each week, with at least 1 being a job application. Keep detailed records of everything - dates, employer names, websites, contact info, etc. The UC office can audit your work search activities at any time.

Does anyone know if they actually check these work search activities? I've been on UC for 2 months and nobody has ever asked to see my records...

I had the EXACT same confusion when I started my claim in January! The PA UC system is so frustrating - nothing is clearly explained!!! I ended up registering as individual first, then had to go back and connect it to my UC claim. I wasted like 3 weeks thinking I was doing it right but my work searches weren't being properly recorded. Almost lost my benefits over their confusing system!!

@UnemployedInPA I highly recommend using Claimyr if you need to speak with a PA UC representative quickly. It's a service that helps you get through the busy phone lines. I was skeptical at first, but after waiting on hold for hours multiple times, I tried it and got through in about 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. Check out their website at claimyr.com for more details. It made resolving my work search documentation issue so much easier.

One more important detail about work search activities - you need to record them each week when you file your weekly certification. There's a section specifically for entering your work search activities, and if you don't complete it, your payment could be delayed. Also, keep your own separate records with all details in case you're audited. They can request proof of your work search activities up to 2 years after you receive benefits.

nope just write down everything somewere. i use a spreedsheet with dates and names and websites. my friend got auditid and they just wanted to see he had records of somekind

And make SURE when you register that you verify your email right away!!! I didn't see the verification email (it went to spam) and my whole account got locked for like 10 days and I couldn't do my work search activities properly. Such a nightmare dealing with PA unemployment!!