Do headhunter interviews count as job search activities for ESD weekly claims?

Yes, both activities can count! According to ESD guidelines, interviews with employers (including staffing agencies/recruiters) definitely count as job search activities. Just make sure you document the recruiter's name, company, contact info, and date of contact. For the general recruitment call, I'd classify it as a "networking for job leads" activity rather than a formal interview.

Thx for asking this, I've been wondering the same thing! Had 2 calls w/ recruiters last week too!

I got AUDITED by ESD last year and they accepted my headhunter interview as a valid job search activity!!! But they wanted ALL the details - the headhunter's full name, their company, phone, email, the position discussed, etc. Make sure you write down EVERYTHING or they'll disqualify it and potentially make you pay back benefits if you don't have enough other activities!!!

To provide some clarification on job search requirements: 1. For the headhunter interview about a specific position - yes, this counts as a job search activity under "job interview with employers." 2. For the general recruitment call - this would fall under "networking for employment" which is also an acceptable activity. Just remember that ESD may request verification of these activities. You should record: - Date of contact - Company name and contact information - Name of the person you spoke with - Method of contact (phone, in-person, etc.) - Position discussed (if applicable) - Result or follow-up plans This documentation will protect you in case of an audit.

I totally misunderstood the job search requirements when I first started claiming. I thought only actual job applications counted! I had a bunch of recruiter calls I didn't even log. Then I randomly got placed on standby status and didn't have to do job searches for 4 weeks. Now I'm back to regular UI and trying to make sure I'm doing everything right.

One additional tip: For the general recruiter call, make sure you note what types of positions were discussed, even if they were hypothetical. This strengthens your documentation by showing the call was specific to your job search rather than just a general chat.

Thanks everyone for the helpful answers! I'll continue logging both types of recruiter interactions but make sure my documentation is much more detailed. This community has been so helpful - the ESD website doesn't really spell out all these nuances.

Just wanted to add that I've had success logging recruiter activities too. One thing I learned the hard way - if a recruiter calls you about multiple positions in one conversation, you can actually count that as one comprehensive job search activity rather than trying to split it up. Also, following up with recruiters after initial contact (like sending a thank you email or checking in about status) can count as additional networking activities if you document them properly. The key is always having that paper trail!

I've been dealing with recruiters a lot lately and wanted to share something I learned - when documenting recruiter calls for ESD, I always ask the recruiter for their direct contact info and the specific job req number if they have one. Most recruiters are happy to provide this since they want to maintain the relationship. It makes your documentation much stronger and shows ESD that these were legitimate business contacts, not just casual conversations. Also, if a recruiter mentions they'll keep you in mind for future openings, I note that as well since it shows ongoing networking value.

This thread is super helpful! I'm new to unemployment claims and had no idea that recruiter interactions counted as job search activities. I've been stressing about finding enough applications to submit each week, but I actually had two recruiter calls last month that I didn't even think to log. One was through LinkedIn where a recruiter reached out about a marketing coordinator position, and another was a cold call about temp-to-perm opportunities in my field. Based on what everyone's saying here, it sounds like I should have documented both of these. Going forward, I'll definitely keep better records and ask for all the contact details you've mentioned. Thanks for sharing your experiences - this has been way more informative than the official ESD resources!