Nevadans collecting unemployment benefits will soon be required to prove they are looking for a job to keep getting checks, according to a March 30 statement from then Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.
That requirement was suspended last year because of massive layoffs throughout the pandemic. But beginning May 1, 2021, all claimants filing for UI benefits will have to look for suitable employment and keep a record of the businesses they contact each week.
“As Nevadans are vaccinated and COVID cases continue to drop, DETR is focusing on getting Nevadans back to work, whether they return to their pre-pandemic job or get training for a new job,” DETR Director Elisa Cafferata said in a statement.
To satisfy work search requirements, claimants have to include the name and addresses of businesses or labor unions they have contacted, the method of contact — whether by email, in-person or telephone — and the results of the contact. If a claimant refuses work, they must justify that decision.
Claimants are required to conduct several work searches each week to keep their benefits and to complete a work search activity record each week they file for benefits.
The state is also sending out notices that the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) program has been reinstated, effective March 29, as required by federal law.
RESEA provides certain UI claimants the chance to meet remotely with representatives who can connect them to job search opportunities. Participation, if invited, is required for UI eligibility. Those individuals will be notified by mail and through their online unemployment account, according to DETR.
Cafferata said the requirement doesn’t apply to PUA claimants or the extended benefit programs.
