myjobcontacts › States › New Jersey

How many job searches do you need for unemployment in New Jersey?

What counts as a work search in New Jersey

• Calling an employer about a job
• Applying or contacting an employer online or by email
• Visiting an employer in person
• Sending a resume or application by mail
• Contacting a labor union about work

What doesn’t count

• Contacting only the same employers you already contacted in past weeks (you must contact a different employer each week)

Same employer twice? Each week you must contact at least one employer you have not already used.

More on this in what counts as a work search contact.

How to report your job contacts

When you certify, you answer yes or no to whether you actively looked for work. You do not type in your employer contacts. Keep your own record of each contact, and print a copy of online applications and replies, so you can show proof if asked.

When: Online, you certify every week, any day from Sunday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., after the week ends. By phone, you certify every 2 weeks on weekdays: Monday if your Social Security number ends in an odd number, Tuesday if it ends in an even number. Your first certification is on a Wednesday, 17 days after your date of claim.

Where: MyUnemployment NJ (online certification).

When the search starts: The first week you claim benefits. Your claim week starts on the Sunday of the week you file.

Keep a work search log

NJDOL’s form is the Work Search Record. It asks for: date of contact, employer name, address, phone number, method of contact, name of person contacted, position applied for, was application taken?, result of contact.

The free myjobcontacts app keeps the same details and prints them in the same columns as NJDOL’s form. Prefer paper? Use the free printable work search log.

Who doesn’t have to search

• You have a work search waiver because you are in training approved by a One-Stop Career Center counselor
• You get jobs through a union hiring hall (work search waiver)
• You are temporarily laid off with a definite rehire date within 8 weeks of the day you were separated (work search waiver)

Union members: If you find jobs through a union hiring hall, you may get a work search waiver. Even with a waiver, you must be able and available to work.

See work search exemptions for how these work in other states.

Reviews, audits and RESEA

New Jersey can ask for proof of your work search at any time during your claim. It also runs random investigations that review your eligibility, payroll records and work search contacts. If your case is picked for a spot check, NJDOL will contact you to set up an interview. Bring your work search record.

What to expect: unemployment work search audits.

If you miss your number

If you do not look for work, you may not be paid for that week ('not actively seeking work' is an eligibility issue a claims examiner decides). Lying to get benefits is fraud: you must repay the money plus interest and penalties, may be denied future benefits, and may face prosecution.

Questions people in New Jersey ask

How many job searches are required for unemployment in New Jersey?

You must contact at least 1 different employer each week you claim, by phone, mail, internet or in person. You must be able to show proof of your search if New Jersey asks.

What counts as a work search in New Jersey?

Calling an employer about a job; Applying or contacting an employer online or by email; Visiting an employer in person; Sending a resume or application by mail, and 1 more on the list above. Check your notice for anything your state added for you.

Do I have to keep a work search log in New Jersey?

When you certify, you answer yes or no to whether you actively looked for work. You do not type in your employer contacts. Keep your own record of each contact, and print a copy of online applications and replies, so you can show proof if asked.

What happens if I don’t do enough job searches in New Jersey?

If you do not look for work, you may not be paid for that week ('not actively seeking work' is an eligibility issue a claims examiner decides). Lying to get benefits is fraud: you must repay the money plus interest and penalties, may be denied future benefits, and may face prosecution.

Who doesn’t have to look for work in New Jersey?

You have a work search waiver because you are in training approved by a One-Stop Career Center counselor. You get jobs through a union hiring hall (work search waiver). You are temporarily laid off with a definite rehire date within 8 weeks of the day you were separated (work search waiver). Your notice will say if this applies to you.

Does New Jersey check or audit work search records?

New Jersey can ask for proof of your work search at any time during your claim. It also runs random investigations that review your eligibility, payroll records and work search contacts. If your case is picked for a spot check, NJDOL will contact you to set up an interview. Bring your work search record.

Checked against NJDOL’s own pages and rules on November 6, 2026. We could not confirm how long to keep your records, how RESEA works, the job bank sign-up rule on an official page, so check your notice for those.

Sources

• NJDOL PR-94 Unemployment Insurance: Your Rights & Responsibilities (7/2026)
• NJDOL: Work Search page
• NJDOL: How to certify for weekly benefits
• NJDOL: Schedule for claiming weekly benefits
• NJDOL Work Search Record (log.pdf, 2019)
• NJDOL Work Search Record (2020, English/Spanish)
• NJDOL Work Search Log BC-514 (R-2-14)

Work search rules in every state

myjobcontacts is not a government website and this is not legal advice. Rules change, and your own claim notice or letter is what counts. If something here doesn’t match what your state told you, follow your state.