A Washington worker filing for a week of unemployment benefits generally has to complete at least three approved job-search activities and keep a record of them. A proposal published Nov. 10 would set a national floor of five qualifying activities per claimed week for workers subject to the standard activity count. For a Washington claimant who now completes three, that would mean two more qualifying activities per week if the proposal takes effect as written and the state uses a straight count. Washington claimant handbook, page 14 · Federal Register, proposed § 604.6(b)–(c)
The proposal would also make detailed reporting a condition of payment. Washington’s handbook says the weekly claim asks whether a worker completed approved activities, and the state may ask for the log. Washington also lets workers submit job-search information with an online weekly claim. The federal proposal would require claimants to report the details of each activity as part of certifying the claim, before the state pays benefits for that week. Workers who qualify through an alternative, such as the recall provision below, would report the details of that arrangement. The department considered requiring states to verify every activity before paying, then proposed a reporting requirement instead. Washington claimant handbook, page 14 · Washington detailed handbook, pages 45–46 · Federal Register, proposed § 604.6(d) and regulatory alternative two
States would have to recognize qualifying activities such as submitting a job application, interviewing for a job or taking a skills assessment tied to a specific employer. They could also count activities such as attending a job fair or using career-center services. States could use a points system with a five-point weekly minimum. An activity could be worth one, two or three points, so fewer than five activities could suffice. Federal Register, proposed § 604.6(c), (e) and (f)
The proposal also accounts for some workers who already have a job to go back to. A state could treat a worker on temporary layoff as meeting the search requirement if the worker has a definite return date with the same employer within eight weeks of separation. For a small business planning to recall staff, a definite date would matter under that provision. Federal Register, proposed § 604.6(g)(3)(i)
The Nov. 10 notice is a proposal. Washington claimants should continue to follow the state’s current instructions. The Labor Department is accepting comments through Jan. 11, 2027, under docket ETA-2026-0100. One question the department is asking is whether at least one weekly activity should come from the list that states would be required to recognize. Washington claimant handbook, page 14 · Federal Register, Dates, Addresses and discussion of proposed § 604.6(e)(2)