New Unemployment Rule Hits July 19: Michigan Workers Must Log Three Job-Search Activities Per Week

For a Warren worker laid off from a plant or waiting out a production slowdown, keeping an unemployment check will require more than checking job listings. Starting Sunday, July 19, Michigan workers must complete and report at least three job-search activities each week to keep receiving unemployment benefits, up from the previous minimum of one activity.

"These are major changes in unemployment law. The biggest change that claimants need to be aware of is an added work search requirement," Jason Palmer, director of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, said in a June announcement.

The work search requirement stems from Public Act 238 of 2024, a bipartisan law passed in December 2024 with 56-53 votes in the Democratic-majority House and 21-15 votes in the Democratic-majority Senate.

Not every job-search step counts. Valid work search activities include submitting job applications online or in person, attending job fairs, creating or updating a profile or resume on professional networking or job sites such as MiTalent.org, LinkedIn or Indeed, and participating in online job-search workshops or seminars, according to the state's official work search activities list.

Invalid activities include simply browsing online job boards without applying, contacting an employer solely to determine if a position is available without submitting an application, and applying for the same position with the same employer within a four-week period. The same job search site can only be used for work search once per month.

For each activity, claimants must record the date of contact, the specific activity type, the employer's name, the employer's address or online location, and how they contacted the employer. Claimants must keep written records and save all confirmation emails to prove their activities if audited.

Claimants report their three work search activities when they certify for benefits every two weeks. The fastest method is through the online MiWAM, or Michigan Web Account Manager, account. Claimants certifying by phone must stay on the line after answering automated questions to provide their work search details to a live agent.

"If you don't report three work search activities each week while certifying for benefits, then you won't be paid or may have to return benefits you were not supposed to receive," Jason Palmer, director of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, said.

There is no grace period for missing a work search activity, and missed activities cannot be made up later. If a claimant receives a determination denying benefits due to insufficient work search activities, they may file a written protest within 30 days of the determination date. Protests can be submitted online via MiWAM or by mail to Unemployment Insurance Agency, P.O. Box 169, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-0169.

The change arrives as Warren and other manufacturing communities continue to deal with job instability. Stellantis announced temporary layoffs at the Warren and Sterling stamping plants in April 2025, part of about 900 U.S. auto job cuts attributed to tariffs that forced production pauses at facilities in Canada and Mexico. Michigan employers filed seven WARN notices in Q1 2026, affecting more than 540 workers statewide, with firms connected to the EV supply chain and higher education facing significant layoff pressures.

The Warren Michigan Works! Career Center, located at 30500 Van Dyke Avenue, 4th Floor, Warren, MI 48093, provides career coaching, resume help, job-search assistance, and training resources. The center serves Region N, covering Macomb and St. Clair counties, and operates Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, excluding holidays. The phone number is (586) 574-2170.