Starting January 4th, in order to qualify for unemployment insurance benefits, a claimant will need to complete at least five work-search activities each week. That’s an increase from the current requirement of three. Robert Wooley with Louisiana Works says the new rule is not intended to punish an unemployed individual.
“The more people look for work, the more quickly they’ll become employed, and that’s the whole goal, because unemployment benefits are hard to live on. In fact, they’re not intended to live on,” Wooley said.
The upcoming changes to the unemployment insurance benefits are the result of legislation approved earlier this year. Wooley says attending interviews, updating a resume and participating in job-search or training programs are considered work-search activities.
“Anything that you’re doing to try to move back into the workforce is considered a work search. And once again, after January 4th, it’s going to go to five instead of three,” Wooley explained.
Wooley says there are also new rules that could result in a person losing their unemployment benefits.
“If you refused a suitable job offer, you could lose your eligibility. If you missed a scheduled job interview without good cause, you could lose your benefit,” Wooley noted.
