ESD job search log requirements - how detailed do LinkedIn applications need to be?

You're fine. I got audited in January 2025 and ESD was reasonable about the level of detail. For LinkedIn applications, I included "LinkedIn - [Company Name]" and the date I applied. For the contact info, putting the company name and either 'HR Department' or 'Hiring Manager' was sufficient. They just need enough info to potentially verify IF they decide to check. The most important part is documenting that you're doing the required 3 activities each week. I actually think it's smart to do more than 3 but only document the strongest ones. That way if one gets questioned, you have backups.

i put literally the bare minimum lol. just 'applied via linkedin' and company name. nobody from esd is gonna track down every single application. theyre too busy. been on UI since november and no issues

I'd recommend a bit more detail than just 'LinkedIn' as a best practice. For online applications, include the company name and position title at minimum. For networking contacts, you can list their professional email or just company name + title without personal details. ESD primarily wants to verify you're making legitimate job search efforts. They rarely contact employers during routine audits, but they may spot-check obvious gaps. The more professional and complete your log looks, the less likely they'll scrutinize it closely. When I was a WorkSource employment specialist, we recommended clients keep a separate detailed log for their own use (with exact URLs, etc.) and then transfer the basic required info to the ESD form.

They're CRAZY strict about this!! My neighbor got audited and lost 6 weeks of benefits because he didn't have the exact street address for a place he had an interview. They made him pay everything back!!! Take screenshots of EVERYTHING and write down EVERY detail!!!!!

I work in HR and occasionally have to verify these ESD job search contacts. From our side, we just confirm if someone applied or not - we don't need to verify exact URLs. Basic company info + date + whether it was an application/interview/networking is sufficient. For privacy concerns with networking contacts, just use their work email or LinkedIn profile rather than personal contact info. ESD understands professional networking is part of a job search. Also worth noting: if you're having trouble getting through to ESD to ask questions like this, I recently used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an ESD agent within 20 minutes after weeks of failed call attempts. They have a video demo of how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. The agent confirmed that reasonable detail is all that's needed for job logs.

To add another wrinkle, I'm in construction and most of my job inquiries are walking up to job sites or calling contractors. I put general addresses like "123 Main St construction site" and sometimes just company names with phone numbers. Been on unemployment off and on for years and never had issues with job search verification. I think they just want to see you're making effort. Btw - everyone's situation is different. Maybe your industry has different standards than mine.

I had my job search logs audited back in February and they mainly wanted to verify that I was actually looking for suitable work in my field. For LinkedIn applications, I included: - Company name - Job title - Date of application - A general note like "Applied via LinkedIn Jobs" For networking, I just put the person's work email or LinkedIn profile (never personal phone numbers). One important thing: make sure the positions you're applying for are reasonable for your qualifications and job history. They flagged one of my activities because I applied for a position that required 10+ years of experience when I only had 3. The auditor questioned if I was making "reasonable" job search efforts.

anyone else notice the job search log webpage is broken half the time? tried uploading mine last week and the site crashed three times lol typical esd

Just to follow up on your question about whether they actually contacted employers during my audit - they didn't contact any of them as far as I know. The auditor just reviewed my logs, asked me a few clarifying questions about two of the entries, and that was it. The whole process was much less stressful than I expected.