myjobcontacts › States › West Virginia
How many job searches do you need for unemployment in West Virginia?
Short answer: You must do at least 4 work search activities each week and keep dated proof of each one. You can upload your log and proof when you file your weekly claim; if you don't, WorkForce WV can ask for it later.
Each week
4 work search activities
The week
Sunday through Saturday
Request payment
File your weekly claim Sunday through Friday of the week after the week you are claiming.
Official log form
Keep records
Keep dated proof of your work search activities for your benefit year plus six months.
What counts as a work search in West Virginia
- Registering on the MACC (macc.workforcewv.org) or with a placement firm, temp agency or school placement office
- Searching for jobs online in the MACC or another job site (the MACC records it for you)
- Using reemployment services at a WorkForce WV office or online, including RESEA, skills tests and workshops
- Completing job applications, or following up on a job referral from WorkForce WV
- Applying for or taking part in employment and training services
- Going to job clubs, job fairs or networking events
- Contacting or visiting employers that have, or are likely to have, openings
- Taking a civil service exam
- Job interviews (in person, phone or virtual)
More on this in what counts as a work search contact.
How to report your job contacts
Your weekly certification asks whether you looked for full-time work and for details about your work search. Keep a log and dated proof of all 4 activities. You can upload the log and proof during each weekly certification, which saves you from a later request. Activities you do in the MACC are recorded for you automatically.
When: File your weekly claim Sunday through Friday of the week after the week you are claiming. It must be done by 5:00 p.m. Friday. Log the prior week's activities before midnight Saturday.
Where: WorkForce West Virginia online weekly claim certification.
When the search starts: Every week you claim. The first week is an unpaid waiting week; WorkForce WV pages do not say it is exempt.
Keep a work search log
Keep dated proof of your work search activities for your benefit year plus six months. WFWV’s form is the WorkForce West Virginia Work Search Activity Log. It asks for: date, activity category (job application/referral, online job search, job interview, networking/job fair, civil service exam, registering for work, reemployment services, training services, employer contact/visit), method of contact (online/website, phone, email, mail, in person, virtual meeting, other), employer, agency or event name and contact information (name, contact person, address, phone, email), full url if you did an online job search, proof obtained (dated screenshot, confirmation email, certificate, business card/letter, appointment letter, test results, other).
The free myjobcontacts app keeps the same details and prints them in the same columns as WFWV’s form. Prefer paper? Use the free printable work search log.
Who doesn’t have to search
- You were called for jury duty
- You are in approved vocational training
- You are a member in good standing of a union hiring hall
- You are filing Low Earnings Reports (your employer cut your hours)
- You are getting Short-Time Compensation benefits
Union members: Members in good standing of a union hiring hall do not have to do the work search activities.
See work search exemptions for how these work in other states.
Reviews, audits and RESEA
WorkForce WV can ask for your proof at any time and verifies job search contacts. Claims are audited regularly. During RESEA, a staff member reviews your job search activities.
RESEA: If you are picked for RESEA, you get a letter and email and must schedule a virtual Assessment Interview. Staff review your job search, help you make a plan and set a second interview about two weeks later. Missing it can delay or deny benefits. RESEA activities count as work search activities.
What to expect: unemployment work search audits.
If you miss your number
If you don't do 4 activities or can't give proof, your benefits for that week can be delayed or denied, and you may have to pay back benefits. If WorkForce WV refers you to a job, you must apply within one week and accept a suitable offer, or you can be disqualified. Saying you looked for work when you did not is fraud.
Sign up with the job bank
Register on the MACC, the state's job matching site, at macc.workforcewv.org (registering counts as a work search activity). MACC (WorkForce WV labor exchange).
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 WFWV ever asks for it. No sign-up. Your list stays on your phone.
Start my free logQuestions people in West Virginia ask
How many job searches are required for unemployment in West Virginia?
You must do at least 4 work search activities each week and keep dated proof of each one. You can upload your log and proof when you file your weekly claim; if you don't, WorkForce WV can ask for it later.
What counts as a work search in West Virginia?
Registering on the MACC (macc.workforcewv.org) or with a placement firm, temp agency or school placement office; Searching for jobs online in the MACC or another job site (the MACC records it for you); Using reemployment services at a WorkForce WV office or online, including RESEA, skills tests and workshops; Completing job applications, or following up on a job referral from WorkForce WV, and 5 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 West Virginia?
Your weekly certification asks whether you looked for full-time work and for details about your work search. Keep a log and dated proof of all 4 activities. You can upload the log and proof during each weekly certification, which saves you from a later request. Activities you do in the MACC are recorded for you automatically. Keep dated proof of your work search activities for your benefit year plus six months.
What happens if I don’t do enough job searches in West Virginia?
If you don't do 4 activities or can't give proof, your benefits for that week can be delayed or denied, and you may have to pay back benefits. If WorkForce WV refers you to a job, you must apply within one week and accept a suitable offer, or you can be disqualified. Saying you looked for work when you did not is fraud.
Who doesn’t have to look for work in West Virginia?
You were called for jury duty. You are in approved vocational training. You are a member in good standing of a union hiring hall. Your notice will say if this applies to you.
Does West Virginia check or audit work search records?
WorkForce WV can ask for your proof at any time and verifies job search contacts. Claims are audited regularly. During RESEA, a staff member reviews your job search activities.
Checked against WFWV’s own pages and rules on November 6, 2026. We could not confirm the payment website name, the job bank sign-up rule, what doesn’t count, the same-employer rule on an official page, so check your notice for those.
Sources
- WorkForce WV Unemployment FAQ
- WorkForce WV Important Notice Regarding Work Search Activities (Jobs and Reemployment Act, 21A-6-1d)
- WorkForce WV Work Search Activity & Acceptable Proof Guide (Rev. 03.26)
- WorkForce WV Work Search Activity Log (Rev. 02.26)
- WorkForce WV: Completing My Work Search Activities (Rev. 06.2024)
- WorkForce WV Claimant Handbook (Rev. 07.24)
- WorkForce WV: Reemployment Services (RESEA)
- US DOL Comparison of State UI Laws 2023, Chapter 5
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.