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Work Search Requirements to Resume no later than July

May 25, 2021

Work search requirements for individuals receiving unemployment benefits will restart no later than the week of July 11, with individuals to begin certifying on July 18 that they have looked for work during the previous week. Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Acting Secretary Jennifer Berrier made the announcement on Monday, May 24th. Legislation is currently advancing through both the House and Senate that would reinstitute the requirement sooner. 

Under the current L&I timeline, beginning July 18, individuals receiving benefits through any unemployment program in Pennsylvania (including Unemployment Compensation, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance) will need to certify each week that during the previous week they fulfilled the work search requirement by applying for two jobs and participating in one work search activity each week.

Eligible work search activities are:

  • Attending a job fair
  • Searching positions posted on the PA CareerLink® system or Internet job banks
  • Creating or posting a résumé in the PA CareerLink® system or posting a résumé in other résumé-posting services
  • Contacting colleagues, former co-workers or other individuals in similar professions or occupations to make known your availability for employment or obtain information about available positions, prospective employers or other employment opportunities
  • Utilizing an employment agency, employment registry or school placement service
  • Taking a civil service test or other pre-employment test
  • Participating in a program or activity offered through the PA CareerLink® system. If you live outside of Pennsylvania, you may participate in these types of activities offered by your state employment service.

Unemployment program benefit recipients are also required to accept an offer of suitable work. Individuals are also required to keep a log of their work search activities, which is subject to audit. A form to log work search activities is on L&I’s website.

More information about work search, including answers to frequently asked questions, can be found on L&I’s website.

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