Missouri Work Search Requirements for Unemployment Benefits
IMPORTANT:Missouri's work search requirements, which have previously been waived due to COVID-19,
will be reinstated on July 5th.
Read the guide below to make sure you are still in compliance and will not lose your benefits.
UnemploymentPUA.com's Career Center has developed a special series of workshops that can be used as work search activities. Enroll here.
Work Search Requirements
To be eligible for unemployment benefits you are required to complete at least 3 work search activities each week, unless directed otherwise by the Division.A work search activity is an attempt made to obtain employment or to resume work. Any part-time work performed during the week also satisfies the completion of a work search activity on a per day basis. For each week you make a Weekly Request for Payment of Unemployment Insurance benefits, you are required to complete three work search activities unless you are in approved training, have a definite recall date from an employer or are part of a Shared Work Program.
Make sure your work search activity record is up to date in uinteract.labor.mo.gov. You may enter your work search activities during the week or when filing your Weekly Request for Payment. After logging in, select Weekly Request for Payment and then select Enter Work Search Details. Click the Save button after each work search activity is entered. Failure to complete 3 work search activities may result in the denial of benefits. You may update your work searches anytime throughout the week, but you will still need to file your Weekly Request for Payment after the week has ended in order to receive benefits for the week.
Examples of Acceptable Work Search Activities:
Work search activities can be completed in various ways. Some examples of valid work search activities include, but are not limited to:Missouri Job Center Assisted:
- Accessing and searching for work on MoJobs.gov
- Participating in a Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) appointment
- Responding to a Missouri Job Center work referral
- Participating in a Missouri Job Center workshop
In-person:
- Submitting a paper application for employment
- Visiting employer(s) about job openings
- Attending job interview(s)
- Attending Job Fair(s)
- Following up with employer(s) about job openings
Online:
- Employer Website (Completing web-application)
- Virtual job interviews
- Creating a personal user profile on web-based networking and job posting Sites (Ex. - Monster, Craig’s List, LinkedIn, Indeed)
- Creating a reemployment plan
- Creating a resume
- Participating in online training
To assist with work search activity efforts, UnemploymentPUA.com's Career Center has developed a special series of workshops that can be used as work search activities. Enroll here.