The Labor Department introduced a proposed rule requiring unemployment insurance applicants to document at least five work-search activities per week before receiving benefits. The administration characterized the measure as a mechanism to strengthen the accountability and integrity of the joint federal-state unemployment insurance system.
Currently, no uniform work-search requirement exists across the nation. While federal law mandates that all states maintain some form of work-search requirement, individual states retain considerable authority in setting their own eligibility standards and other parameters. Only four states presently require a minimum of five weekly work searches, according to Michele Evermore, senior director of economic security and worker transitions at the National Employment Law Project. The remaining states impose lower thresholds.
Critics contend the proposal would substantially increase the burden on unemployment claimants and create significant logistical challenges for states. Evermore stated the change would devastate workers in areas with limited job-search opportunities and impose substantial costs on states requiring system modifications. She also noted it would be unusual for the Department of Labor to unilaterally alter state unemployment insurance operations without congressional authorization.
Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling defended the proposal, stating it would help jobseekers secure employment more quickly while ensuring efficient use of taxpayer resources. The rule will undergo a 60-day public comment period before finalization. The proposal emerges during a period characterized by labor economists as a “low hire, low fire” job market, marked by limited hiring activity and historically low layoff rates, creating fewer opportunities for displaced workers seeking new employment.
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