myjobcontacts › States › South Carolina
How many job searches do you need for unemployment in South Carolina?
Short answer: You must do at least 2 work searches each week in SC Works Online Services (SCWOS) while logged in to your own account. A work search there means opening and reading a job posting. Only searches done in SCWOS count toward this rule.
Each week
2 work search activities
Some people have a different number. See below.
The week
Sunday through Saturday
Request payment
Certify every week in MyBenefits, starting Sunday for the week that just ended.
Official log form
None found. Keep your own log with the details below.
Keep records
Check with DEW. We suggest keeping your log until your claim is fully closed.
Different numbers for some people
- Employer-filed (partial) claims: 0 a week. The handbook says that if you start filing your own claim after your employer was filing for you, you then have to start doing the 2 weekly SCWOS searches. Check your notice.
- UI-approved training (such as WIOA): 0 a week. You do not have to do the weekly search while in approved training.
What counts as a work search in South Carolina
- Opening and reading a job posting in SCWOS (jobs.scworks.org) while logged in
- Opening a job posting in the SC Works mobile app while logged in
What doesn’t count
- Job searches done anywhere other than SCWOS (state law counts only SCWOS searches toward the weekly rule)
- Searches done while logged in to an SCWOS account that is not linked to your Social Security number
More on this in what counts as a work search contact.
How to report your job contacts
You do not type in your searches. SCWOS records the job postings you open and sends that to your MyBenefits account overnight. The next business day, check the Confirmation History tab in MyBenefits. A Y next to SC Work Search Confirmation means it counted. If you see N, call your nearest SC Works center.
When: Certify every week in MyBenefits, starting Sunday for the week that just ended.
Where: MyBenefits portal.
When the search starts: The week you file your initial claim (week 1). Make your SCWOS account and do 2 searches that same week.
Keep a work search log
DEW doesn’t have its own log form that we could find. Write down the date, employer, how you contacted them, the job, who you talked to and what happened.
The free myjobcontacts app keeps the same details. Prefer paper? Use the free printable work search log.
Who doesn’t have to search
- You are in a UI-approved training program, such as WIOA
- Your employer is filing your claim for you (employer-filed claim); work search starts if you begin filing your own claim
See work search exemptions for how these work in other states.
Reviews, audits and RESEA
Your SCWOS searches are checked electronically each week. DEW also audits claims and verifies job search contacts as part of fraud checks.
What to expect: unemployment work search audits.
If you miss your number
If you certify a week without doing your 2 SCWOS searches, you may not be paid for that week and your benefits can stop. Benefits paid for weeks without the required work search become an overpayment you must pay back.
Sign up with the job bank
You must register in SC Works Online Services (jobs.scworks.org). Your SCWOS account must be tied to your Social Security number, or your searches will not link to your claim. SC Works Online Services (SCWOS).
Keep every job contact in one place
myjobcontacts is a free work search log. Pick your state and it shows how many contacts you still need this week, reminds you before you request payment, and prints a clean log if DEW ever asks for it. No sign-up. Your list stays on your phone.
Start my free logQuestions people in South Carolina ask
How many job searches are required for unemployment in South Carolina?
You must do at least 2 work searches each week in SC Works Online Services (SCWOS) while logged in to your own account. A work search there means opening and reading a job posting. Only searches done in SCWOS count toward this rule. Some people have a different number: Employer-filed (partial) claims (0); UI-approved training (such as WIOA) (0).
What counts as a work search in South Carolina?
Opening and reading a job posting in SCWOS (jobs.scworks.org) while logged in; Opening a job posting in the SC Works mobile app while logged in. Check your notice for anything your state added for you.
Do I have to keep a work search log in South Carolina?
You do not type in your searches. SCWOS records the job postings you open and sends that to your MyBenefits account overnight. The next business day, check the Confirmation History tab in MyBenefits. A Y next to SC Work Search Confirmation means it counted. If you see N, call your nearest SC Works center.
What happens if I don’t do enough job searches in South Carolina?
If you certify a week without doing your 2 SCWOS searches, you may not be paid for that week and your benefits can stop. Benefits paid for weeks without the required work search become an overpayment you must pay back.
Who doesn’t have to look for work in South Carolina?
You are in a UI-approved training program, such as WIOA. Your employer is filing your claim for you (employer-filed claim); work search starts if you begin filing your own claim. Your notice will say if this applies to you.
Does South Carolina check or audit work search records?
Your SCWOS searches are checked electronically each week. DEW also audits claims and verifies job search contacts as part of fraud checks.
Checked against DEW’s own pages and rules on November 6, 2026. We could not confirm who doesn’t have to search, how RESEA works, how long to keep your records, the union rule, the different numbers for some people on an official page, so check your notice for those.
Sources
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.