The weekly work search rule in Maryland
At least 3 job search activities each week, and at least 1 must be a direct job contact with an employer (such as applying or interviewing). Log them in the Maryland Workforce Exchange before you do your weekly certification in BEACON.
Enter each activity in the Job Contact and Reemployment Activity Log in the Maryland Workforce Exchange (employer name and address, how you made contact, the person you contacted, and the job title). The entries show up in BEACON when you do your weekly certification.
File and certify on the Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Unemployment Insurance site. The rules can change, so check MD Labor's work search page if a letter from them says something different.
| Maryland rule | |
|---|---|
| Each week | At least 3 job search activities each week, and at least 1 must be a direct job contact with an employer (such as applying or interviewing). Log them in the Maryland Workforce Exchange before you do your weekly certification in BEACON. |
| How you report it | Enter each activity in the Job Contact and Reemployment Activity Log in the Maryland Workforce Exchange (employer name and address, how you made contact, the person you contacted, and the job title). The entries show up in BEACON when you do your weekly certification. |
| Enter each activity online | Yes, each activity goes into the state system |
| Agency | Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Unemployment Insurance |
Source: Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Unemployment Insurance (labor.maryland.gov), checked 2026-10-20.
What counts as a work search activity in Maryland
Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Unemployment Insurance lists these:
- Submitting a job application to an employer (in person, email, online, fax)
- Making an in-person contact with a potential employer
- Attending a job interview
- Creating or uploading a resume in the Maryland Workforce Exchange
- A job-related workshop posted in the Maryland Workforce Exchange
- A one-on-one meeting with American Job Center staff
- Recruitment events and networking events
- Job searches on the Maryland Workforce Exchange or other job sites such as Indeed or LinkedIn
- Registering with a private employment agency or a school placement office
- Interview preparation or a mock interview
- Labor market research or a skills self-assessment
Who does not have to search for work in Maryland
You may be exempt on days of jury duty or serving as an election judge, while in approved training, on a temporary layoff with a definite return-to-work date (10 weeks or less, or 11 to 26 weeks with a joint written request approved by the Labor Secretary), as a union member who can only get work through a union hiring hall, or if your employer is in an approved work-sharing plan. You can check your exemption in BEACON.
Keep your work search log free
Write down each activity the day you do it: the date, the employer, how you contacted them, the job, and what happened. If the state asks to see your search, the log is your proof.
The free work search log in Capstone Careers keeps it for you: each application you send through Capstone Careers goes on it by itself, you add the ones you do elsewhere, and you can save the week as a PDF.
Need more applications to reach your number? See openings near you and get a resume written for each one.
Training while you are on unemployment in Maryland
If you want to train for a new job, WIOA can pay for approved training if you qualify. See how WIOA works in Maryland.
Approved training is on MD Labor's list of exemptions above, so ask MD Labor before you start.