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

Who it is for

People claiming unemployment in Pennsylvania who need to keep a weekly work search record for PA Department of Labor & Industry, Office of Unemployment Compensation, and family members helping them stay organized.

Not the right fit if

You claim unemployment in a state other than Pennsylvania, 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 Pennsylvania work search data file, checked November 2026 against 2 official pages: PA L&I: Eligibility information (Benefit Guide); PA L&I: Updated active search for work instructions (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 3 logged activities, recalculating with zero formula errors.

What is inside

• Pennsylvania weekly work search log (Excel). A log with general columns (Date, Activity, Employer or organization, Address, website or email, How you made contact, Result), since the official pages we checked didn't list required fields, a weekly summary that counts your activities against Pennsylvania's 3 to 4 per week and a documents checklist.
• Start here: Pennsylvania filing and work search steps. The 7 facts PA Department of Labor & Industry, Office of Unemployment Compensation's pages confirm, each with its source and check date, and 4 marked "Not confirmed — check": official list of activities, where to report, what to record for each activity, how the week is counted. The weekly requirement, in the agency's words: From the third week of claims: apply for 2 jobs and complete 1 work search activity each week (pa.gov eligibility page). The department's active search instructions say at least 2 applications in weeks 3 to 8 and at least 3 from week 9, plus 1 activity unless you apply for more than the required number. How to report: Keep a weekly record and provide it to the department when asked, in the way it specifies. Activities Pennsylvania counts: job applications for positions with similar work and wages within your commuting area; attending a job fair; searching postings on PA CareerLink or internet job banks; creating or posting a résumé on PA CareerLink or another résumé service; contacting colleagues or others in your field about job leads; using an employment agency, registry or school placement service; taking a civil service or other pre-employment test; taking part in a PA CareerLink program or activity. Records: Keep your record for two years from your application for benefits (AB) date. Job bank: PA CareerLink (registration required). Who may not have to search, per the agency: hours reduced or laid off for economic reasons with written notice of a specific return date; union hiring hall members meeting the hall's referral requirements that week; department-approved training or Trade Act training; required participation in the Pennsylvania PREP program; work sharing under Article XIII.
• 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 Pennsylvania's application adds.
• Printable weekly work search log. A paper version of the log, one week per page, for claimants who prefer to write it down.