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

Who it is for

People claiming unemployment in Wisconsin who need to keep a weekly work search record for Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD), and family members helping them stay organized.

Not the right fit if

You claim unemployment in a state other than Wisconsin, 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 Wisconsin work search data file, checked November 2026 against 1 official page: Wisconsin DWD: Work search requirements.
• 3 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

• Wisconsin weekly work search log (Excel). A log with the columns Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) asks for (Date, Employer or organization, Phone, Person contacted, Their title, Proof kept), a weekly summary that counts your activities against Wisconsin's 4 per week and a documents checklist.
• Start here: Wisconsin filing and work search steps. The 8 facts Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD)'s pages confirm, each with its source and check date, and 3 marked "Not confirmed — check": official list of activities, job bank registration, how the week is counted. The weekly requirement, in the agency's words: At least 4 work search actions each week; more are encouraged. How to report: Use the Weekly Work Search Entry Form at my.unemployment.wisconsin.gov (My UI Home, Enter Work Search); entries are added to your weekly claim when you file it. Activities Wisconsin counts: mandatory Job Center of Wisconsin registration or re-employment services; submitting a résumé or application to an employer with openings; applying for a civil service position; non-mandatory Job Center of Wisconsin re-employment services; first-time registration with a placement facility, staffing agency or recruiter; first-time posting of a résumé on an employment website; meeting with a career counselor; A job interview; A professional networking group or event; creating a professional networking profile; using mySkills myFuture. Records: Keep proof of your work search actions for one year; UI conducts work search audits. Who may not have to search, per the agency: laid off with a reasonable expectation of returning to your employer within 8 weeks (12 with employer verification); A new job starting within 4 weeks, verified by DWD; union referral members on a DWD-approved union's out-of-work list; jury duty; department-approved training; working 32 or more hours that week; working for an employer you work for on more than a temporary basis.
• 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 Wisconsin's application adds.
• Printable weekly work search log. A paper version of the log with Wisconsin's columns, one week per page, for claimants who prefer to write it down.