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How many job searches do you need for unemployment in Washington?

Different numbers for some people

• Survivors of domestic violence or stalking: 1 a week. ESD says you only need 1 approved job search activity per week. Ask ESD about this.
• Union members with full-referral unions. You do not have to look for work outside your union if you stay available for dispatch and follow union rules.
• ESD may ask for more. The rule lets ESD require more than 3 based on your occupation, experience or local job market. Check your notices.

What counts as a work search in Washington

• Applying for a job or asking about a job with an employer (online, email, mail, phone, in person, virtual, kiosk or fax)
• Interviewing for a job
• Setting up a WorkSourceWA account, uploading a searchable resume or completing the career profile tool
• Going to a WorkSource workshop (online or in person), or meeting with a WorkSource specialist or career coach
• Going to a job fair, hiring event or job club and contacting at least one employer
• Attending a RESEA appointment
• Setting up or updating accounts on job search websites, or posting a resume and cover letter
• Taking an approved class or skills test (for example ESL, GED, computer literacy, ACT WorkKeys)
• Signing up with a private career coach, placement agency or recruiter
• Setting up or using accounts for app-based driving or delivery work

What doesn’t count

• Doing the exact same activity again
• Asking an employer about work when you already knew they were not hiring
• Activities that are not on ESD's approved list or are not a real attempt to find suitable work

Same employer twice? Applying for different jobs at the same company counts, and each application counts separately. Repeating the exact same activity does not count.

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

How to report your job contacts

Keep a job search log for every week you claim. Do not send it to ESD unless ESD asks. ESD reviews each weekly claim and can ask for your log at any time, even after you stop claiming.

When: File your weekly claim each week after the week ends. Online claims are open from 12 a.m. Sunday to 11:59 p.m. Saturday. The automated phone line runs from 12 a.m. Sunday to 4 p.m. Friday.

Where: eServices.

When the search starts: From your first weekly claim (your unpaid waiting week counts only if you meet the weekly requirements), and every week you claim after that.

Keep a work search log

Keep your job search log for at least 30 days after your benefit year ends, or 30 days after your last payment on a benefit extension, whichever is later. ESD’s form is the Job search log (EMS 10313). It asks for: week ending date (header), contact date, kind of activity (employer contact, worksource activity, other activity), job title or job reference number, employer or business name, how you made the contact (in person, online, phone, email, mail, other), type of contact (application/resume, interview, inquiry), employer address, city, state, website or email address, phone number, for worksource or other activities: what you did, what documentation you have, office name and city.

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

Who doesn’t have to search

• You are on standby, attached to your employer with a return-to-work date (ESD must approve it)
• You are in commissioner-approved training or Training Benefits
• You are in the SharedWork program
• You are in the Self-Employment Assistance Program (SEAP)
• You are an active registered electrical apprentice, or in the classroom part of a required apprenticeship
• You are part of a strike, lockout or labor dispute (ESD decides)
• You are partly unemployed (working reduced hours) and ESD waives it
• ESD confirms any waiver in writing

Union members: If you belong to a full-referral union, you do not need to look for work outside the union as long as you stay available for dispatch and follow union rules.

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

Reviews, audits and RESEA

ESD can ask for your log at any time, even after you stop filing. If ESD has questions, it sends a letter that sets up a job search review by phone or in person. ESD may check your employer contacts and activities.

RESEA: If you are scheduled for a RESEA appointment, attending it counts as one of your job search activities for that week.

What to expect: unemployment work search audits.

If you miss your number

If your log is missing or incomplete, your activities are not approved, or you are not making a real effort, ESD can deny benefits for those weeks and you will have to pay back what you got. Giving false information is fraud and can bring more penalties.

Sign up with the job bank

You must be signed up with WorkSource (in Washington) or your local employment center (if you live outside Washington). WorkSourceWA.

Questions people in Washington ask

How many job searches are required for unemployment in Washington?

You must do at least 3 job search activities each week you claim benefits and keep a written log. They can be any mix of employer contacts, WorkSource activities and other approved activities. Some people have a different number: Survivors of domestic violence or stalking (1); Union members with full-referral unions; ESD may ask for more.

What counts as a work search in Washington?

Applying for a job or asking about a job with an employer (online, email, mail, phone, in person, virtual, kiosk or fax); Interviewing for a job; Setting up a WorkSourceWA account, uploading a searchable resume or completing the career profile tool; Going to a WorkSource workshop (online or in person), or meeting with a WorkSource specialist or career coach, and 6 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 Washington?

Keep a job search log for every week you claim. Do not send it to ESD unless ESD asks. ESD reviews each weekly claim and can ask for your log at any time, even after you stop claiming. Keep your job search log for at least 30 days after your benefit year ends, or 30 days after your last payment on a benefit extension, whichever is later.

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

If your log is missing or incomplete, your activities are not approved, or you are not making a real effort, ESD can deny benefits for those weeks and you will have to pay back what you got. Giving false information is fraud and can bring more penalties.

Who doesn’t have to look for work in Washington?

You are on standby, attached to your employer with a return-to-work date (ESD must approve it). You are in commissioner-approved training or Training Benefits. You are in the SharedWork program. Your notice will say if this applies to you.

Does Washington check or audit work search records?

ESD can ask for your log at any time, even after you stop filing. If ESD has questions, it sends a letter that sets up a job search review by phone or in person. ESD may check your employer contacts and activities.

Checked against ESD’s own pages and rules on November 6, 2026. We could not confirm the payment website link, the exact questions asked when you request payment, how RESEA works, the job bank sign-up rule, the job bank link, who doesn’t have to search on an official page, so check your notice for those.

Sources

• ESD: Job search requirements
• ESD Job search log (EMS 10313)
• ESD: How to file your weekly claims
• WAC 192-180-010 Job search requirements
• WAC 192-180-015 Job search log

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.