Employment Security Law N.C.G.S. 96-14.9(e) lays out the weekly requirements you must meet to get unemployment benefits. Regarding work search, you must:

• Register with NCWorks.gov.

• Reach out to at least three job contacts each week and apply for jobs that match your qualifications, knowledge, abilities, and/or skills. Each week, one of your contacts can be participation in a reemployment activity.

• Keep a record of your work search activities and job contacts.

For more information about valid work search contacts, review the Your Work Search Responsibilities page.

Failure to comply can impact benefit eligibility. Those recording their work search activities in MyNCUIBenefits who fail to comply will have an issue raised preventing payment. Those not recording activities in MyNCUIBenefits would experience an issue resulting in overpayment. DES may check your work search records or ask you to show your work search records for up to 5 years after you have filed a claim for benefits. Providing inaccurate or false statements to DES is considered fraud and may be punishable by fine and/or imprisonment. 

You should keep your work search activity records for at least five years, as DES may ask to review your records.

For any week that you file for unemployment benefits, you must keep a detailed record of your work search activities. You can download a Work Search Record form to help you keep track.

The work search record must provide the following information:

• Date of employer contact or reemployment activity

• Company or activity name

• Contact method (e.g., in person, by phone, by email, online). Contact information is needed based on the method of contact:

  • In person - physical address

  • By phone - phone number

  • By email - email address

  • Online - website address

You can make a valid job contact when you:

• Submitting a job application, resume, letter of interest, etc.

• In-person meeting or interview with an employer (also includes contact at job fairs or similar events, or video interviews).

• Sending an email to an employer.

• Initial registration with NCWorks.gov (can only count once).

A reemployment activity can count toward one of your three weekly employer contacts. 

• Leaving a voicemail message for an employer.

• Skill Set Courses (Offered by NCWorks Career Centers and/or partner agencies)

  • Workshops (ex. resume preparation, interviewing, social media job searches, branding) 

  • Soft Skills training (ex. professional or social etiquette)

  • Industry/Occupational-specific training (ex. CPR)

  • Alison Online Training (free online courses related to job skills)

  • GCFGlobal classes

  • ESL (English as a Second Language) classes

•                Online Career Tools (Provided by NCWorks Career Centers and/or partner agencies)

  • Employment websites (ex. Indeed)

  • NCCareers.org features (ex. Reality Check, Interest Profiler, Career Cluster Guide)

•                Telephone Reemployment Assistance with NCWorks Career Centers and/or partner agencies

  • Career counseling (ex. job search tips, interview advice)

•                Career Explorer (NCWorks Interest and Skills Assessment)

  • Self-assessments (ex. job, personal, and workplace skills)

  • Self-paced inventories (ex. work interests and values)

  • Career counseling (ex. job search tips, interview advice)

•                Job Clubs and/or Networking Groups (NCWorks or partner/community-recognized)

• Resume Preparation, Review and/or Assistance

• Career Fair (virtual and/or in-person)

• Job Search or Virtual Recruiter

• Job Referrals

If you have any questions about a specific reemployment activity not listed, please contact your local NCWorks Career Center.

If you are getting unemployment benefits, Employment Security Law requires that you accept ‘suitable’ work that is offered to you. If you turn down an offer for work, DES must determine if that offer was ‘suitable’ work based on information provided by you and the potential employer. If the job offer is deemed ‘suitable,’ you may be disqualified from getting unemployment benefits.

To determine whether a job is ‘suitable’ or not, DES must consider the guidelines contained in G.S. 96--‐14.9(f):

• During the first 10 weeks of your unemployment claim, DES may consider:

  • The degree of risk involved to your health, safety, and morals.

  • Your physical fitness and prior training and experience.

  • Your prospects for securing local work in your customary occupation.

  • The distance of the available work from your residence.

  • Your prior earnings.

• After the first 10 weeks of your unemployment claim:

  • DES must consider any employment offer paying 120 percent of your weekly benefit amount to be ‘suitable’ work.