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

Who it is for

People claiming unemployment in Maryland who need to keep a weekly work search record for Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Unemployment Insurance, and family members helping them stay organized.

Not the right fit if

You claim unemployment in a state other than Maryland, 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 Maryland work search data file, checked November 2026 against 1 official page: Maryland Department of Labor: Knowing your job search requirements.
• 2 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 3 logged activities, recalculating with zero formula errors.

What is inside

• Maryland weekly work search log (Excel). A log with the columns Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Unemployment Insurance asks for (Employer or organization, Address, website or email, How you made contact, Person contacted, Their title, Phone, Job title or type of work, Your interest level), a weekly summary that counts your activities against Maryland's 3 per week and a documents checklist.
• Start here: Maryland filing and work search steps. The 9 facts Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Unemployment Insurance's pages confirm, each with its source and check date, and 2 marked "Not confirmed — check": official log form, how the week is counted. The weekly requirement, in the agency's words: At least 3 job search activities each week, and at least 1 must be a direct job contact with an employer. How to report: Record each activity in the Maryland Workforce Exchange Job Contact and Reemployment Activity Log before you certify; it appears in BEACON during your weekly certification. Activities Maryland counts: direct job contacts: submitting an application, an in-person contact with an employer, attending a job interview (at least 1 a week); creating or uploading a résumé in the Maryland Workforce Exchange; job searches in the Maryland Workforce Exchange or other job sites; workshops, recruitment events and one-on-one consultations at American Job Centers; networking events; skills self-assessment and labor market research; registering with a private employment agency or a school placement office; interview preparation and staff-assisted career planning. Records: The Workforce Exchange log keeps a downloadable permanent record of your contacts and activities. Job bank: Maryland Workforce Exchange (registration required). Who may not have to search, per the agency: jury duty, for each day summoned or serving; serving as an election judge in Maryland; training approved by the Division of Unemployment Insurance, or WIOA training approved by the Maryland Department of Labor; temporary layoff of 10 weeks or less with a definite return date (11 to 26 weeks with an approved joint written request); union members who may only get work through a union hiring hall; an employer in an approved work-sharing plan.
• 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 Maryland's application adds.
• Printable weekly work search log. A paper version of the log with Maryland's columns, one week per page, for claimants who prefer to write it down.