Arizona Unemployment Checklist: Weekly Work Search Rules, Excel Log and Documents to Gather

Who it is for

People claiming unemployment in Arizona who need to keep a weekly work search record for Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES), and family members helping them stay organized.

Not the right fit if

You claim unemployment in a state other than Arizona, or you need help with a denied claim or an appeal: this organizes the weekly work search record and doesn't advise on eligibility.

Why it is different

• Built only from our Arizona work search data file, checked November 2026 against 2 official pages: Arizona DES: Work search and your eligibility for unemployment benefits; Arizona DES: Work search instructions for UI claimants (PDF).
• 4 items the official pages didn't state are printed as "Not confirmed — check" with the agency's page, never guessed.
• The Excel summary flags any week with fewer than 4 logged activities, recalculating with zero formula errors.

What is inside

• Arizona weekly work search log (Excel). A log with the columns Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) asks for (Date, How you made contact, Address, website or email, Employer or organization, Job title or type of work, Result), a weekly summary that counts your activities against Arizona's 4 per week and a documents checklist.
• Start here: Arizona filing and work search steps. The 7 facts Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES)'s pages confirm, each with its source and check date, and 4 marked "Not confirmed — check": where to report, official log form, job bank registration, how the week is counted. The weekly requirement, in the agency's words: The DES work search instructions say to make at least 4 work search contacts a week, on at least 4 different days. The current DES work search page says you must search each week you file but doesn't repeat the number. How to report: Enter your work search activities in the portal each time you file a weekly claim, with as much detail as the fields allow. Activities Arizona counts: applying for a job; attending a job fair (online or in person); attending an employment skills workshop; attending a networking event; working on your résumé; contacting employers and interviewing for jobs. Records: DES may audit your work search submissions for up to two years from the effective date of your claim, so keep records you can share on request. Who may not have to search, per the agency: you don't need to search in a week you earned more than your weekly benefit amount, because no benefits are paid for that week.
• Documents to gather. A checklist of the papers a claim usually asks for (IDs, employer names and dates, pay records, separation papers), with space for anything Arizona's application adds.
• Printable weekly work search log. A paper version of the log with Arizona's columns, one week per page, for claimants who prefer to write it down.