The Trump administration on Monday proposed stiffer rules for Americans seeking unemployment benefits that, if adopted, would require them to conduct more weekly job searches.
The proposed Department of Labor regulations, set to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, would require people applying for or collecting jobless aid to complete at least five unique work searches per week. Currently, many U.S. states require two to three qualifying work searches per week, while only four states require five. Some states require only one work search activity to qualify for unemployment benefits.
The Trump administration said the change is necessary to create consistent eligibility requirements for unemployment benefits nationwide. A national minimum weekly work search standard would “improve program integrity and strengthen labor market attachment,” the Labor Department said in its proposal.
“This action is necessary to reduce inconsistencies beyond those created by local labor markets in State-level requirements for individuals to actively seek work,” according to the agency. “The intended effect is to hold States accountable for administering [an unemployment compensation] program that provides temporary wage replacement to eligible individuals while they are actively seeking work through a meaningful engagement with the labor market.”
The public has 60 days following publication of the proposed rule to offer comment.
Costly for states and workers
Labor advocates criticized the proposed change in work search rules, saying the new threshold would be hard for unemployed people to meet and costly for states to administer.
“Not only is the proposed change devastating to claimants who may not have five search options for every week they are unemployed, but it will likely cost states hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Michele Evermore, senior director of economic security and worker transitions at the National Employment Law Project, a worker advocacy group, said in a statement to CBS News. “Nearly all states will have to change their claimant intake forms, and with it, their technology — a costly fix. Many states will have to rewrite their laws to meet this rule.”
Evermore also said the proposed rule would disadvantage applicants who already struggle to navigate the unemployment benefits systems. Employers “want candidates enthusiastic about their job opportunities, not ticking boxes for the work search form,” she added.
More level playing field?
The Labor Department acknowledged that the policy could temporarily raise costs as states and jobless aid applicants adapt to the new work requirement, but said the change is necessary to ensure that the eligibility rules are applied consistently across the U.S.
“These inconsistencies can create confusion for individuals, lead to uneven enforcement when allowable activities are not clearly defined, and increase the likelihood that otherwise eligible individuals may fail to meet requirements simply because expectations are unclear,” the Labor Department said. “Additionally, variability in how States notify individuals of work search requirements can result in individuals engaging in activities that may not support reemployment or may not satisfy the State’s rules.”
Various activities would satisfy the proposed requirement that people seeking jobless aid conduct at least five work searches per week, according to the Labor Department. For example, beyond contacting a prospective employer, registering with or contacting a job placement agency or union would also count as a qualified work search.
Under the proposal, states could also designate other activities as satisfying the requirement. Additionally, states could adapt the weekly job search threshold to account for local labor market conditions through a points-based system that would allow someone applying for jobless aid to accrue multiple points for a single activity.
“Under such a system, States may assign point values to qualifying work search activities and require individuals to accumulate a minimum of five points per benefit week,” the Labor Department said.
