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Work Search Requirement Returns for Unemployment Insurance Benefits
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. June 24, 2020 — The Arkansas Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Services (DWS) announced today that the work search requirement for Unemployment Insurance will be back in effect beginning June 28, 2020. When claiming benefits for the week ending July 4 and after, individuals will have to report the number of job contacts they made that week.
The number of contacts required is based on geographic location. Individuals receiving regular unemployment benefits or Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) who live in larger metropolitan areas must make three (3) contacts a week. The larger metropolitan statistical areas include: Benton, Cleveland, Craighead, Crittenden, Faulkner, Garland, Grant, Jefferson, Lincoln, Lonoke, Madison, Miller, Perry, Poinsett, Pulaski, Saline, Sebastian, and Washington counties. Individuals residing in rural areas must make two (2) job contacts each week.
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claimants have the same requirements, except for those who are self-employed. Self-employed PUA claimants must be engaged in activities designed to resume their usual self-employment, rather than making job contacts. Self-employed PUA claimants should enter the number of days on which they were engaged in activities designed to resume their usual self-employment.
Those claiming Extended Benefits will have enhanced work search requirements and must provide a written log of job contacts each week in order to receive benefits. Individuals receiving EB who live in larger metropolitan statistical areas (as listed above) must make four (4) job contacts a week while those in rural areas must make three (3).
Individuals with recall to work dates that are within 10 weeks of their initial or additional claim filing date are exempt from the work search requirements. If the recall to work date is more than 10 weeks, the individual must do the required work search. In order to receive the work search exemption, a claimant must provide DWS with a written letter from their employer that includes the claimant’s name, last four digits of the claimant’s SSN, their last day of work, and the date to be recalled to work. Claimants will need to mail or deliver the letter to their local Arkansas Workforce Center.
Job seekers are strongly encouraged to visit the state’s online job portal Arkansas JobLink (AJL) at www.arjoblink.arkansas.gov. Create a Job Seeker account to add a resume, access thousands of jobs, connect with employers who are hiring, and learn about other resources and services. We also invite business owners, hiring managers, HR representatives and the like to create Employer accounts, browse resumes and connect with qualified job candidates.
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About the Arkansas Department of Commerce:
The Arkansas Department of Commerce is the umbrella department for workforce and economic development drivers. Its divisions and regulatory boards include Division of Aeronautics, Waterways Commission, Wine Producers Council, Division of Workforce Services, Office of Skills Development, State Bank Department, Insurance Department, Securities Department, Economic Development Commission and Development Finance Authority. It was established July 2019 as part of Governor Asa Hutchinson’s wide-sweeping efficiency and transformation efforts to reduce 42 cabinet agencies to 15 while maintaining services for all Arkansans.
About the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services:
The Arkansas Division of Workforce Services is a division of the Arkansas Department of Commerce. ADWS administers Arkansas’ Unemployment Insurance program and facilitates employer compliance with the Arkansas Employment Security Law, collects unemployment insurance contributions from employers, provides unemployment insurance benefits to those eligible, and maintains management information systems for filing unemployment insurance claims and fraud detection.