myjobcontacts › States › Tennessee
How many job searches do you need for unemployment in Tennessee?
Short answer: You must do at least 4 work search activities each week. They can be job searches or reemployment activities like interviews and job fairs. You report them on your weekly certification in Claimant e-Services.
Each week
4 work search activities
The week
Sunday through Saturday
Request payment
A new certification for the week before opens every Sunday.
Official log form
None found. Keep your own log with the details below.
Keep records
Check with TDLWD. We suggest keeping your log until your claim is fully closed.
What counts as a work search in Tennessee
- Applying for a job
- Job interviews
- Job fairs
- Reemployment activities, including using services at an American Job Center
More on this in what counts as a work search contact.
How to report your job contacts
Each week you log in to Unemployment Claimant e-Services and complete your weekly certification. That is where you report the 4 work search activities you did the week before. Keep your own notes so you have the details ready.
When: A new certification for the week before opens every Sunday. You can certify any day of the week; Sunday is the busiest. If you wait more than 3 weeks, your claim closes and missed weeks can't be paid.
Where: Jobs4TN Unemployment Claimant e-Services.
When the search starts: Start your job search right away. Your first weekly certification (the Sunday after you file) covers the week before and asks for 4 activities.
Keep a work search log
TDLWD 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 have a definite return-to-work date and will go back to your employer soon
- You get work only through a union hiring hall
- You are in agency-approved training
Union members: If you get work only through a union hiring hall, you don't have to do the regular work search.
See work search exemptions for how these work in other states.
Reviews, audits and RESEA
Tennessee checks work searches with random audits every week (per the U.S. Department of Labor's state law comparison). Keep proof of each activity in case you are asked.
What to expect: unemployment work search audits.
If you miss your number
If you don't complete and report your work search activities, you may not be paid for that week. Reporting false information is fraud and can lead to disqualification and paying back benefits.
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 TDLWD ever asks for it. No sign-up. Your list stays on your phone.
Start my free logQuestions people in Tennessee ask
How many job searches are required for unemployment in Tennessee?
You must do at least 4 work search activities each week. They can be job searches or reemployment activities like interviews and job fairs. You report them on your weekly certification in Claimant e-Services.
What counts as a work search in Tennessee?
Applying for a job; Job interviews; Job fairs; Reemployment activities, including using services at an American Job Center. Check your notice for anything your state added for you.
Do I have to keep a work search log in Tennessee?
Each week you log in to Unemployment Claimant e-Services and complete your weekly certification. That is where you report the 4 work search activities you did the week before. Keep your own notes so you have the details ready.
What happens if I don’t do enough job searches in Tennessee?
If you don't complete and report your work search activities, you may not be paid for that week. Reporting false information is fraud and can lead to disqualification and paying back benefits.
Who doesn’t have to look for work in Tennessee?
You have a definite return-to-work date and will go back to your employer soon. You get work only through a union hiring hall. You are in agency-approved training. Your notice will say if this applies to you.
Does Tennessee check or audit work search records?
Tennessee checks work searches with random audits every week (per the U.S. Department of Labor's state law comparison). Keep proof of each activity in case you are asked.
Checked against TDLWD’s own pages and rules on November 6, 2026. We could not confirm the recent change, the list of what counts, how long to keep your records, the official log form, how reviews and audits work, how RESEA works, the job bank sign-up rule, the same-employer rule 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.