Important Work Search Requirements
Work search is a federal requirement and claimants must be able, available, and actively looking for work to receive unemployment insurance benefits. Unless exempted by the department, you are required to make a minimum of two different work search contacts every week to qualify for benefits. You will need to keep a log of:
- the date of your contact,
- the type of work it was,
- the employer’s name, the person, or website address,
- the type of contact and contact information (such as a phone number or web address), and
- what was the result of your contact.
You can log into your online account through the Unemployment Insurance Tax & Claims system at www.jobs.state.nm.us, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you have any questions, Customer Service Agents in the Unemployment Insurance Operations Center (1-877-664-6984) are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
If you need assistance looking for work and making your work search contacts, take advantage of all of the services and resources available in the New Mexico Workforce Connection Online System (www.jobs.state.nm.us). Use the “Resume Builder” and the “Virtual Recruiter” to start looking for jobs and matching with employers who have jobs posted in the system.
If you would like to work with the New Mexico Workforce Connection staff on your employment and career goals, you can contact the New Mexico Workforce Connection center anywhere in the state by finding a center nearest to you on the Office Locations page.
All work search activities must be verifiable and documented. NMDWS may occasionally ask claimants for a record of their work search activity. Claimants must keep a detailed log of their work search activity recording the date and details of the work search. NMDWS can request this activity log anytime during their benefit year. Records should be kept for up to 5 years.