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  2. Unemployment Insurance
  3. Claimants
  4. Work Search Requirements

Work Search Requirements

Examples of Valid Work Search Actions and Acceptable Proof

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Mandatory Job Center of Wisconsin registration or participating in mandatory re-employment services.

We confirm with the Job Center. Keep a copy of the confirmation email.

Submitting a résumé or application in person to an employer that has openings or is taking applications.

Date of application, name and phone number of employer, name and title of contact.

Submitting a résumé or application online to an employer that has openings or is taking applications.

Copy of email confirming résumé or application received. This is needed even if submitting an application or résumé through the Job Center of Wisconsin.

Applying for a civil service (government) position.

Copy of email confirming résumé or application received.

Non-mandatory re-employment services like training supplied by the Job Center of Wisconsin to help you get a job, but not a required activity.

Date of participation, location (in person or online), and the activity.

Registering with placement facility, temporary help agency, or recruiter.

First time registration with each facility or agency. Electronic or paper copy of registration form or copy of email confirming registration.

Posting résumé on employment website (e.g., Indeed.com, CareerBuilder.com).

First time posting with each website. Copy of email confirming receipt of résumé.

Meeting with a career counselor.

Date, name and phone number of career counselor.

Participating in a job interview.

Date, name and phone number of the employer, name and title of contact.

Participating in professional work-related networking group/event.

Registration confirmation, ticket, or name badge showing name and date of event.

Creating a personal user profile on professional networking sites (e.g., LinkedIn.com, MyOpportunity.com).

Screenshot of the profile which could be verified by the state agency.

Using online career tools such as job match advisors, other national job boards, or mySkills myFuture.

Screenshot of the results from tools used.

Examples of Invalid Work Search Actions

(List is not all-inclusive)

  • Viewing job leads but not applying.
  • Contacting an employer to learn no openings exist or applications are not being taken.
  • Submitting an application to the same employer within a 4-week period when there is not a new job available.
  • Re-posting the same résumé on job search websites unless applying for a specific job.
  • Applying for work that is unreasonable considering your training and experience.

Documenting Your Work Search

We recommend that you use the Work Search Plan template to plan your work search activities for each week. You may document your work search actions on the Weekly Work Search Entry Form in your claimant portal by visiting your 'UI Home Page' and selecting 'Enter Work Search'.

You are encouraged to complete more than four work search activities each week because doing so will help you return to work more quickly, but you cannot apply work search activities from a prior week to a future week. For example, even if you conducted and reported 6 work search actions last week, you must complete and report four different work search actions this week.

You will still need to file your weekly claim in addition to using the Weekly Work Search Entry Form. When you file your weekly claim, the work search actions you have entered are automatically added.

If you do not use the Weekly Work Search Entry Form, you will need to enter your work search actions when you file your weekly claim. If you cannot use online services, have your work search actions ready to supply when you file your weekly claim by phone.

See the Sample Work Search Log.

Keep proof of your work search actions for a year. We may request acceptable proof of your work search actions at any time.

Falsely reporting information on your work search actions may be fraud, which can result in penalties and the denial of UI.

Waiver of the Work Search Requirement

In some situations, the work search requirement may be waived. Some of the reasons that permit waiving the work search requirement include:

  • You are laid off but there is a reasonable expectation that you will return to work for your employer within eight weeks. This waiver period may be extended to 12 weeks with verification from your employer.
  • You have a reasonable expectation of starting employment with a new employer within four weeks, and the employer has verified the anticipated starting date with DWD.
  • You are laid off and routinely obtain work through a union referral and are on the out of work list for a union approved by DWD because the union meets the conditions outlined in DWD 127.02(4).
  • You were summoned to serve as a juror.
  • You are enrolled and participating in a course of approved training.
  • You worked 32 or more hours during the week in question.
  • You worked for an employer you work for on a more than temporary basis. (Work that will last four weeks or less is considered temporary.)

For more information about the work search requirements and waivers, please review the Work Search FAQ.

Printable Version (PDF)

Claimant Handbook

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