Can I decline job offer requiring extensive travel without losing ESD benefits?

You're absolutely within your rights to decline this offer without risking your UI benefits. According to ESD's definition of 'suitable work,' a position must align with your training, experience, and usual occupation. If extensive travel wasn't part of your previous positions and isn't standard in your field, you have legitimate grounds to refuse. I'd recommend documenting everything carefully - save the original job posting that didn't mention travel, write down details from your phone screening (date, time, who you spoke with), and if you withdraw, do it via email citing the undisclosed travel requirements so you have a paper trail. If ESD questions it later, you'll have evidence that the job substantially differed from what was advertised.

This happened to me last year!! Job seemed perfect then BAM they drop the travel bomb in the interview. I straight up told them no thx and withdrew. ESD never even asked me about it. As long as ur still doing ur job searches each week ur fine

BE CAREFUL!!!! ESD is looking for ANY reason to deny benefits. If you get offered the job and decline it, they WILL find out eventually and you'll have to pay everything back with penalties. Job search requirements say you MUST accept suitable work when offered. Maybe try negotiating less travel before outright declining????

I went through something similar with a warehouse job that turned out to require overnight shifts that weren't mentioned in the posting. I called ESD directly to ask about this exact situation and they confirmed I could decline without penalty because it wasn't suitable work. I spent 4 hours trying to get through to someone though - their phone lines are ridiculous. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. It was worth it to get a clear answer from ESD directly about my specific situation.

just withdraw now and dont mention it anywhere on ur weekly claim. they only care if u actually REFUSE an OFFER not if u withdraw beforehand. i always just ghost employers if the job turns out to be different than advertised lol

What industry are you in? I'm in sales and had this EXACT situation come up during my unemployment last year. The travel requirement makes a HUGE difference in whether ESD considers it suitable or not. In my case, because I'd never had a traveling sales job before, ESD sided with me when the employer reported that I'd turned down an offer. Took some back and forth with adjudication though.

ur overthinking this. just withdraw ur application and keep looking. its not like ur turning down an actual job offer. ive withdrawn from dozens of interviews during my unemployment when i realized the job wasnt right. esd never said anything

As a single parent, childcare considerations are absolutely a valid reason to decline a job that requires extensive travel, especially when it wasn't disclosed in the original posting. ESD recognizes that suitable work must be reasonable given your personal circumstances. The fact that this travel requirement was completely omitted from the job description and would fundamentally change the nature of the position works strongly in your favor. I'd suggest being proactive - send a professional email to the employer explaining that the travel requirements weren't in the original posting and don't align with your current circumstances as a single parent. This creates documentation that you withdrew for legitimate reasons before any offer was made. Keep that email and the original job posting. Even if they do make an offer later, you'll have clear evidence that the position substantially differs from what was advertised.

As someone new to navigating unemployment benefits, I really appreciate seeing all the different perspectives here! From what I'm reading, it sounds like you have solid grounds to decline this position based on the undisclosed travel requirements, especially with your childcare situation as a single parent. One thing that stands out to me is how important documentation seems to be - saving that original job posting, keeping records of the phone screening, and being professional in your withdrawal. It's reassuring to see examples from others like @Cynthia Love who went through adjudication successfully and @Manny Lark who withdrew without issues. I'd lean toward withdrawing your application professionally rather than waiting for an offer, since it sounds like this job fundamentally isn't what was advertised. The extensive travel requirement being sprung on you during the screening feels like a classic bait-and-switch situation. Good luck with your job search!