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Work Search Requirements Restart This Week For Unemployed Hoosiers

The reflection of the Statehouse in the Department of Workforce Development headquarters in Indianapolis.
The reflection of the Statehouse in the Department of Workforce Development headquarters in Indianapolis.

Starting this week, unemployed Hoosiers will once again need to prove they are searching for work in order to receive jobless benefits. The requirements are normal, but were waived for more than a year as a form of pandemic relief.

Each week, Hoosiers will need to complete at least one work search activity. That includes things like creating a resume, attending a job fair, or participating in a program at a local WorkOne office. They’ll need to report those activities each week on their unemployment benefits claim and keep a detailed log as well.

READ MORE: How Is Indiana Distributing COVID-19 Vaccines? Here's What You Need To Know

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Department of Workforce Development guidance warns that failing to pass a pre-employment drug test, dressing inappropriately for a job interview, or only applying for jobs someone is over- or underqualified for could negate that activity.

Work search requirements can be waived for a variety of reasons, most commonly if someone is enrolled in an approved career-training program.

Meanwhile, the state will end all federal unemployment benefit programs, including a boost of $300 each week, later this month. 

Contact reporter Justin at  jhicks@wvpe.org or follow him on Twitter at @Hicks_JustinM.

For the latest news and resources about COVID-19, bookmark our Coronavirus In Indiana page here

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Justin Hicks covers statewide workforce development and employment issues. Before moving to Indiana, Justin was a freelance journalist and audio producer in New York City covering a variety of topics from crime to classical music. Justin is a graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and Appalachian State University.