The weekly work search rule in North Dakota
Make the number of job contacts Job Service assigns you, every week you want benefits, including your waiting week. Start the same week you apply. The claimant guide does not post one set number. A job contact means applying for a specific job you are qualified for and would take, for at least the hours you worked before.
Answer the weekly certification questions online in UI ICE or by phone, including whether you made job contacts. Record each contact (date, company, address, phone, job title and more) on the Job Contacts Form. If you certify by phone, be ready to send your records when asked. Job Service checks contacts.
File and certify on the Job Service North Dakota site. The rules can change, so check JSND's work search page.pdf) if a letter from them says something different.
| North Dakota rule | |
|---|---|
| Each week | Make the number of job contacts Job Service assigns you, every week you want benefits, including your waiting week. Start the same week you apply. The claimant guide does not post one set number. A job contact means applying for a specific job you are qualified for and would take, for at least the hours you worked before. |
| How you report it | Answer the weekly certification questions online in UI ICE or by phone, including whether you made job contacts. Record each contact (date, company, address, phone, job title and more) on the Job Contacts Form. If you certify by phone, be ready to send your records when asked. Job Service checks contacts. |
| Enter each activity online | No, you keep your own record |
| Keep records | Use the Job Contacts Form to record each contact. Save application confirmation emails or screenshots that show the date you applied. |
| Agency | Job Service North Dakota |
Source: Job Service North Dakota (www.jobsnd.com), checked 2026-10-20.
What counts as a work search activity in North Dakota
Job Service North Dakota lists these:
- Applying for a specific posted job by sending an application or resume
- Mailing or faxing a resume or job application
- Applying in person and speaking with someone who can hire
- Applying online on an employer's website or kiosk, or by email
- Calling an employer only when the employer asks applicants to call and you leave your contact information
Who does not have to search for work in North Dakota
You must look for work unless you are returning to the employer that laid you off or you are a paid-up union member on the out-of-work list. If you have a job offer that starts within four weeks, you can send the offer letter and ask to stop making contacts; keep making them until Job Service tells you to stop.
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 North Dakota
If you want to train for a new job, WIOA can pay for approved training if you qualify. See how WIOA works in North Dakota.