Unemployment Insurance Program National Minimum Weekly Work Search Requirements

Open for public comment until Jan. 11, 2027. Comment on Regulations.gov

What it does

The U.S. Department of Labor (Department), through the Employment and Training Administration (ETA), is proposing to amend 20 CFR part 604 both to reflect a 2012 update in Federal law in which Congress, by amending section 303(a) of the Social Security Act (SSA), established a Federal work search requirement; and to establish a national minimum weekly work search requirement standard for the Federal-State unemployment compensation (UC) program. This proposed rule would mandate, among other things, that States require individuals claiming UC to complete at least five qualifying work search activities or, where applicable, meet State-adopted points-based system requirements amounting to five qualifying activities or satisfy equivalent labor force attachment criteria, each week for which UC is claimed; that individuals report their work search activities as part of their certification process prior to payment being issued; and that State law allow for certain qualifying work search activities beyond simply employer contacts. This action is necessary to reduce inconsistencies beyond those created by local labor markets in State- level requirements for individuals to actively seek work. The intended effect is to hold States accountable for administering a UC program that provides temporary wage replacement to eligible individuals while they are actively seeking work through a meaningful engagement with the labor market.

The Employment and Training Administration's summary, as published in the Federal Register.

What it would change

1 part of Title 20 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

20 CFR 604

Before this

No earlier Federal Register document under regulation identifier 1205-AC31 since Jan. 1, 2025.

What happens next and when

Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on this notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM or proposed rule) on or before January 11, 2027.

The agency's dates, word for word.

Check it yourself

• The document in the Federal Register
• Docket ETA-2026-0100 on Regulations.gov
• Title 20 on eCFR

The record as published

Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register