Additional eligibility requirements have recently been added to the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Law.
According to the state Department of Labor and Industry, if the effective date of your application for unemployment benefits is on or before January 1, 2012 you are required to do all of the following:
1. Register for employment search services with Pennsylvania Career Link within 30 days after you file your application.
2. Conduct an active search for work during each week that you seek UC benefits, except your waiting week.
3. Keep a record of your work search activities and provide the record to the department when requested.
In order to meet your weekly work search requirement, you must satisfy one of the following during each week that you seek benefits:
The first option is to apply for at least three jobs during the week and either
1. Attend a job fair
2. Search positions posted on CareerLink or Internet job banks
3. Create a post or resume in the CareerLink system or other resume posting service
4. Contact colleagues, former co-workers or other individuals in similar professions or occupations to make known your availability for employment or to obtain information about employment opportunities
5. Use an employment agency, employment registry, or school placement service
6. Take a civil service test or other pre-employment test
7. Participate in a program offered through CareerLink
If you work part time during a week and claim partial benefits you are only required to apply for two jobs during a week and you do not have to satisfy any other part of the option.
The second option is to maintain an active registration in a union hiring hall.
In addition, under the addition to the law, you are required to keep a record of your efforts to find work each week that you seek benefits and you must retain the record for two years. You are encouraged to use Form UC-304, Record of Job Applications and Work Search Activities, which is located online or in the middle of the mailed version of Form UCP-1, the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook.
The active search for work does not apply:
1. For any week that you are in training approved by L&I or under the Trade Act.
2. For any week that you are required to participate in the Pennsylvania Profile Reemployment Program at CareerLink.
3. For any week that you are participating in work sharing under Article XIII of the UC Law.
4. If your employer reduced your hours of work or laid you off for economic reasons and your employer has advised you that you will return to work within 28 calendar days after the date when you last worked