Trump Labor Department tightens unemployment work rules

Labor Department raises the bar

The Labor Department proposed on Monday that unemployment insurance claimants must complete five work-search activities per week to receive benefits.

Trump frames it as accountability

The Trump administration described the proposal as improving the integrity and accountability of the joint federal-state unemployment insurance system.

Most states require far fewer

Currently only four states require a minimum of five work searches per week. The remaining states require fewer activities, according to Michele Evermore of the National Employment Law Project.

What counts as work search

A qualifying work search activity might be applying to a job, creating a profile on a job-search website or attending a networking event, depending on the state.

Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling's case

Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said the rule helps jobseekers find work faster and ensures efficient use of taxpayer resources while improving unemployment system integrity.

“This proposed rule helps jobseekers find work faster and ensures efficient use of taxpayer resources while improving the overall integrity of our unemployment system”

Advocates warn of major costs

Michele Evermore said the change would be devastating to claimants and cost states hundreds of thousands of dollars. Nearly all states will need to change intake forms and rewrite laws.

“Not only is the proposed change devastating to claimants who may not have five search options for every week they are unemployed, but it will likely cost states hundreds of thousands of dollars”

Unusual federal overreach, critics say

Evermore said it is highly unusual for the Department of Labor to unilaterally change how states run their unemployment insurance systems without clear direction from Congress.

Sixty days for public comment

There is a sixty-day public comment period on the proposal. Long-term unemployment has climbed, with twenty-seven point six percent of all unemployed workers out of work for more than six months as of October.