The weekly work search rule in South Dakota
At least 2 work search activities each week you request benefits, unless DLR has told you otherwise. Your filing instructions say if you must search for work. This also applies if you are working reduced hours.
When you file your weekly request for payment, you give details on each job contact: business name, date, the business's contact information, job title, the hiring person you contacted and how you made contact. DLR checks what you report with the employer.
File and certify on the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, Reemployment Assistance Division site. The rules can change, so check DLR's work search page if a letter from them says something different.
| South Dakota rule | |
|---|---|
| Each week | At least 2 work search activities each week you request benefits, unless DLR has told you otherwise. Your filing instructions say if you must search for work. This also applies if you are working reduced hours. |
| How you report it | When you file your weekly request for payment, you give details on each job contact: business name, date, the business's contact information, job title, the hiring person you contacted and how you made contact. DLR checks what you report with the employer. |
| Enter each activity online | Yes, each activity goes into the state system |
| Keep records | Document your job contacts so they can be checked. DLR offers a Job Search Tracking Sheet. You may be picked for an audit or eligibility review at any time and asked for your job contact information. |
| Agency | South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, Reemployment Assistance Division |
Source: South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, Reemployment Assistance Division (dlr.sd.gov), checked 2026-10-20.
What counts as a work search activity in South Dakota
South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, Reemployment Assistance Division lists these:
- Submitting a job application online or in person
- Submitting a resume online or in person
- Attending a job interview
- Taking part in a DLR-approved reemployment services program
Who does not have to search for work in South Dakota
You do not have to look for work if you have a definite recall date to full-time work with an employer that paid 50 percent or more of your base period wages and weather-related seasonal factors mean no work is available in your main job or other suitable work, if you are a member in good standing of a referring union you normally get work through, or if you have not been working at all and your employer has given you a recall date to full-time work within 10 consecutive weeks. If you got a letter saying you must search, you still must call DLR to have your situation reviewed.
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 South Dakota
If you want to train for a new job, WIOA can pay for approved training if you qualify. See how WIOA works in South Dakota.