The weekly work search rule in Vermont
3 job contacts (or activities) each week, reported on your online weekly claim. You cannot report the same contact within a 5-week period. You must also have a Vermont JobLink profile.
Enter each job contact in the work search section of the online weekly claim: the business name, the person you talked to and their direct contact information.
File and certify on the Vermont Department of Labor site. The rules can change, so check VDOL's work search page if a letter from them says something different.
| Vermont rule | |
|---|---|
| Each week | 3 job contacts (or activities) each week, reported on your online weekly claim. You cannot report the same contact within a 5-week period. You must also have a Vermont JobLink profile. |
| How you report it | Enter each job contact in the work search section of the online weekly claim: the business name, the person you talked to and their direct contact information. |
| Enter each activity online | Yes, each activity goes into the state system |
| Keep records | Keep accurate records of each job contact (date, employer name and address, person contacted, phone, email, position, method and result), plus copies of confirmation pages or emails for online applications. |
| Agency | Vermont Department of Labor |
Source: Vermont Department of Labor (labor.vermont.gov), checked 2026-10-20.
What counts as a work search activity in Vermont
Vermont Department of Labor lists these:
- Applying for a job you are reasonably qualified for, online or by mail
- Contacting your former employer to ask if they can bring you back
- Contacting an employer in person or by email with a formal request for hire
- A part-time job (each part-time job can count as one contact each week)
Who does not have to search for work in Vermont
You do not have to search if you have a verified return-to-work date within 10 weeks of filing your initial claim, or you are enrolled in a qualified training or education program.
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 Vermont
If you want to train for a new job, WIOA can pay for approved training if you qualify. See how WIOA works in Vermont.
Approved training is on VDOL's list of exemptions above, so ask VDOL before you start.