Cooper Order Restores Work Search Requirement For Unemployed In NC

Unemployed people in North Carolina will face new job search requirements beginning next month.

Gov. Roy Cooper issued an executive order last week requiring all claimants of unemployment benefits to fulfill work search requirements. They must contact three potential employers each week and keep a record of the search starting June 6.

Also, all unemployment claimants must register with ncworks.gov to continue receiving benefits. NCWorks is the state's online employment portal. It can be used to apply for jobs and find workplace training opportunities. 

Cooper says in a release that North Carolina is emerging from the pandemic, and reinstating the search requirements will help connect claimants with employers.

The latest executive order expands on one Cooper issued in March that directed the North Carolina Department of Commerce to interpret state job search laws flexibly. 

That move coincided with the end of the extended benefits program for state employment under federal law.

Cooper's office says North Carolina has distributed more than $11.7 billion dollars through various state and federal programs since the start of the pandemic. There are currently about 245,000 North Carolinians receiving benefits payments each week.

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