What a work search log is, and why unemployment asks for it
A work search log is a written record of what you do to find a job while you collect unemployment. Each line is one activity: a job you applied for, an interview, a job fair, or a workshop at a job center.
Unemployment pays people who can work and are looking for work. The log is how you show the looking part. Most large states set a number of activities you must do each week, and many ask about your work search each time you request payment.
States do check. In Texas, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) can ask for your log for any week at any time during your benefit year. You can lose benefits if you cannot show it or it leaves out required details. New York checks the information on your record against the contacts you list. In both states, knowingly giving false work search information counts as fraud.
What to write down for each activity
Write each activity down the day you do it. Texas and New York ask for almost the same details:
- The date.
- What you did: applied online, applied in person, interviewed, went to a job fair, met with a job center counselor.
- The employer's name, address or website, and phone number with the area code.
- The person you contacted, by name or job title, and how you reached them: online, email, phone, mail or in person.
- The job title you applied for, or the type of work you want.
- The result: application sent, interview set, hired, not hired, or no reply yet.
Keep proof with the log. New York tells people to save a copy of each online application or the employer's confirmation, copies of emails, and things like a job fair employer list or a business card. A screenshot of the confirmation page works for online applications.
A work search log template you can print
Copy this table into a notebook or a spreadsheet, or print this page. Use one page per week. Texas counts a week as Sunday through Saturday.
You do not have to use the state form. TWC accepts your own log if it has the same information as its form, and New York accepts a similar written record if it has the required details. The official forms: TWC Work Search Log (PDF), New York Work Search Record, Pennsylvania Work Search Record UC-304 (PDF), and Illinois Work Search Record (PDF).
| Date | What you did | Employer, address or website, phone | Person contacted and how | Job title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Oct 5 | Applied online | Example Pharmacy, examplepharmacy.com/careers, (555) 010-0100 | No name given; online application | Pharmacy technician | Application sent; confirmation saved |
| Wed, Oct 7 | Phone interview | Example Clinic, 12 Main St., (555) 010-0200 | Ana Ruiz, office manager; phone | Front desk | Second interview set for Friday |
The columns follow what TWC and the New York Department of Labor ask for. The two filled rows are made-up examples.
How many work search activities you need each week, by state
There is no national number. Each state sets its own, and Texas lets local workforce boards set it by county. Among the ten largest states, the ones that post a number ask for one to five activities a week. The table shows each rule as the state agency posts it, checked in October 2026. Your claim letter and your state's own site have the final word.
| State | Weekly requirement | How you report it |
|---|---|---|
| California (EDD) | EDD does not post a set number. Most people must look for work each week. | You answer "Did you look for work?" each time you certify |
| Texas (TWC) | 1 to 5 activities, set by county. Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, Travis and most other counties require 5. | Keep a log; send it only when TWC asks |
| Florida | 5 employer contacts; 3 if your county has 75,000 people or fewer | Report them when you request benefits every two weeks |
| New York | 3 work search activities | Keep a Work Search Record on paper or online in JobZone |
| Pennsylvania | 2 job applications and 1 work search activity | Keep a record; Form UC-304 is optional |
| Illinois (IDES) | IDES does not post a set number. You must register on IllinoisJobLink.com and search for work. | Answer work search questions when you certify; keep a record of when and where you apply |
| Ohio | 2 work search activities | Write them down and keep the record for 18 months |
| Georgia | 3 new job contacts | Report them to the Georgia Department of Labor each week |
| North Carolina | 3 job contacts; one can be a reemployment activity | Enter them in MyNCUIBenefits before your weekly certification |
| Michigan | 3 different work search activities | Report them in MiWAM when you certify |
Source: each state agency's own page, checked October 12, 2026. Rules change, so check your state's page before you file.
Work search rules for every state
Each state's weekly rule, how you report it, what counts and who is exempt, from the state agency's own pages:
Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · DC · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming
Texas (TWC) work search log rules
How many: after you apply, TWC mails you a letter with your weekly minimum, and it reminds you of the number each time you request payment. Your local workforce board sets the number based on the job market in your county. On TWC's county list (updated September 2026), 164 of 254 counties require 5 activities a week, and the rest require 1 to 4. TWC says to go by your letter over the list. See the county list.
Register first: you must register on WorkInTexas.com within three business days of applying for benefits, using your Social Security number. This is separate from the benefits application.
What counts: applying for jobs online or in person, interviewing, going to a job fair or job club, taking a workshop at a Workforce Solutions office, searching WorkInTexas.com, and posting your resume on job boards, among others. The full list is on TWC's work search page.
How to log: use the TWC Work Search Log (PDF) or your own log with the same details. Record at least your minimum every week. TWC recommends recording everything you do.
Keeping records: keep every log for your whole benefit year, or for as long as you get benefits if that is longer. Send it only when TWC asks. You can mail or fax it to the address TWC gives you, or upload it through the UI Submission Portal.
Exemptions: TWC can excuse you from the work search if you are on a temporary layoff with a set return date, in a union hiring hall, in TWC-approved training that includes an exemption, in Trade Act training, or in a Shared Work program. TWC tells you in writing.
Keep the log without writing it by hand
Capstone Careers keeps a proof record of every application it fills in for you: the employer, the job, the date, and how you applied. Each one is a one-page record you can print or save, and together they work as your work search log.
It also finds openings near you every morning and rewrites your resume for each one. Searching and the rewritten resume are free, and so is 1 application filled in each month. More is the Apply plan: $34.99 a month for unlimited applications.
Two things stay with you. Activities outside the app, like a job fair or a phone call, still go on your log. And if your state has you enter activities in its own system (Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Michigan do), you still type them in there. The proof record gives you the details to copy. See jobs near you.
Sources
- TWC: Work Search Requirements
- TWC: Required Number of Work Search Activities by County
- TWC: Work Search Log (PDF)
- California EDD: Returning to Work
- California EDD: Understanding the Certification Questions
- FloridaJobs.org: Request Benefit Payment
- New York DOL: Work Search Requirements and Recordkeeping
- Pennsylvania L&I: Work Search FAQs
- Illinois IDES: Work Search and Availability
- Ohio JFS: How Unemployment Insurance Works
- Georgia DOL: Learn About Work Search Requirements
- North Carolina DES: Your Work Search Responsibilities
- North Carolina DES: Weekly Requirements
- Michigan UIA: Work Search FAQ