Work-Search Waivers for Jobless Aid May End as States Reopen

Laid-off workers in some states that are allowing businesses to reopen may soon have to prove that they’re actually looking for jobs again in order to continue receiving unemployment benefits.

States typically require unemployment insurance applicants to show they’re actively searching for work. That meant providing proof of five job applications or contacts made per week in Florida, for example, or three in California. In the pandemic’s early stages, all 50 states dropped or limited job-search requirements in exchange for temporary, emergency federal funding needed to process a wave of new unemployment claims.

Now, some states that are gradually reopening ...