Work Search Requirements to Resume Next Week for Jobless Nebraskans

July 7, 2020, 2:15 p.m. ·

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Nebraska Labor Commissioner John Albin (Photo by Fred Knapp, NET News)
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Work search requirements for Nebraskans collecting unemployment benefits because of the pandemic will resume starting next week. The Nebraska Department of Labor says work search requirements include applying for jobs online, searching for jobs and attending job skills classes.

“We don’t require in any in-person contacts, so they search online, they can make telephone calls, their applications can be done online,” Nebraska Labor Commissioner John Albin said. “We’ve made all sorts of accommodations to try and allow for social distancing while reinstating the work search.”

The extra $600 a week federal unemployment benefit ends on July 25th. Albin says there are 32,000 open jobs listed on the Department of Labor’s website and work search requirements are an important part of the unemployment process.

“Work search has been around for the entire 30 years I’ve been with the department,” Albin said. “There’s always some adjustments periods, you always have to show some flexibility in getting people back to work and helping them to search for work and we’re gearing- up to accommodate those needs of our claimants.”

Nebraska lost around 75,000 jobs in April and had an unemployment rate of nearly 9%. In May, the jobless rate improved to 5.2% , which is still much higher than normal.