Continued Eligibility

Work Search Requirements

Notice: You are required to conduct four (4) reemployment activities each week. Three (3) of those reemployment activities are required to be job applications. You are required to create an IowaWORKS profile and certify your reemployment activities.  

To stay eligible for unemployment benefits, you must complete four reemployment activities each week, between Sunday and Saturday, unless the department waives this requirement. Waivers may apply if you're temporarily unemployed and expect to be recalled within about four weeks, or if you're enrolled in school and approved for Department Approved Training (DAT). Your work search requirement is assessed each time you file a claim. These activities must be recorded and certified in IowaWORKS when filing your weekly claim for benefits. 

Your work search must be a reasonable and honest effort to find suitable work. Failure to do so may result in the denial of benefits. Participation in reemployment services activities may qualify as a reemployment activity.

You must be willing to accept a reasonable wage for the job you're applying for. If you apply for the same job with the same employer within six weeks, it won’t count toward your four required reemployment activities.

Union hiring hall members must be in good standing and follow the union's contact rules. 

Reporting Earnings

Gross earnings or gross wages are your earnings before taxes or other payroll deductions. Earnings or wages must be reported on the weekly claim during the week the wages are earned, not when the wages are paid. Earnings must be reported even if you have not yet received the payment. To calculate the amount to report, multiply the number of hours you worked by your hourly wage. 

Example: 10 hours X $12.00/hour = $120.00 in gross earnings 

You should report the full gross amount of earnings and IWD will calculate any deductions. Deductions and/or earnings are calculated differently depending on the type of income. See the general guidelines on deductibility below. 

Excessive Earnings

Earnings of $15 or more above your weekly benefit amount (WBA) are considered excessive. If you report excessive earnings for four weeks in a row, your claim will need to be reactivated before payments can resume. On the fifth week, if you still need benefits, you must file a new claim by Saturday to reactivate your claim and continue weekly certifications.

Partially Deductive From the Benefit Payment Based on a Formula 

You may earn up to 25 percent of your WBA without a reduction in your payment, but you must report all earnings even if those earnings are under 25 percent. Earnings higher than 25 percent will reduce your benefit payment. If you earn $15 or more over your WBA, you will not receive a benefit payment for that week. This type of income includes: 

• Wages 
• Holiday pay 
• Sick leave 
• Stand-by pay 
• Tips, gratuities, commission and incentive pay 
• Strike pay - only deductible when received for services rendered. 
• Any compensation other than cash (i.e. room and board, cell phone) Example: Your WBA is $400, and you earn $370. 

25% of $400 is $100. $100 is not deducted from the WBA. 

$370 - $100 = $270. The remaining $270 is deducted from the WBA. 

$400 - $270 = $130. 

$130 is the payment amount for the week. 

Fully Deductive from the Benefit Payment 

Under Iowa law and administrative code, some types of income reduce your benefit payment by one dollar for each dollar earned (dollar for dollar). Income that is 100% deductible includes: 

1. Vacation pay and paid time off 
2. Severance pay 
3. Pension – Only if the employer contributed 100% 
4. Retirement, Annuity, or any other similar periodic payment 
5. Workers’ Compensation (temporary total disability) 
6. Paid excused leave (funeral or personal leave) 

Example: Your WBA is $400 and you receive a $370 vacation payout for the week you are claiming. 

$400 - $370 = $30. $30 is the payment amount for the week. 

Reporting Vacation Pay

Vacation pay received after leaving a job must be reported for the first 5 workdays following your last day of work. Vacation pay is based on an 8-hour workday and a 5-day work week (Monday through Friday). If you receive less than 5 days of vacation pay, report the amount you received or will receive. 

Follow the instructions below to report vacation pay. 

Vacation Pay 40 Hours or Less

If you received less than 5 days of vacation pay after a separation from employment, you should report the amount that you received or will receive. 

Example: Your last day worked is Wednesday. You were paid $25 per hour and will receive 28 hours of vacation pay in the amount of $700. The money should be reported on weekly claims as follows: 

Vacation Pay in Excess of 40 Hours 

If you receive or will receive more than 40 hours of vacation pay after leaving a job, you only need to report 40 hours of vacation pay. 

Example: Your last day is Wednesday. You were paid $25 per hour and will receive 80 hours of vacation pay in the amount of $2,000. The money should be reported on the weekly claim as follows: 

Self-Employment

If you're self-employed or will receive a 1099 form for work, you do not need to report those earnings on your weekly unemployment claim. Self-employment income is not considered wages and won't reduce your benefits. However, you still need to meet eligibility requirements. 

To receive unemployment benefits, you must be able, available, and actively seeking suitable work. If self-employment prevents you from accepting suitable work, you may be disqualified for being unavailable for work. 

Work Registration Requirement

You must register for work when you apply for Unemployment Insurance (UI). You can do this at your local IowaWORKS center or online (iowaworks.gov). If you have created an Employer Searchable resume, you have met this requirement and no action is needed.

To register for work in Iowa, you must complete the registration process and create a résumé using the IowaWORKS website. 

Follow these steps: 

1. Provide your social security number (SSN) during the registration process. It’s essential to use your SSN, as the system may not be able to locate your information using just your name or other identifying details. 
2. Complete the required questions in the registration process. 
3. Create an active résumé and ensure it is available online for employers to view. 

Work registration will be considered valid when, at a minimum, the following is in your IowaWORKS account: 

• Your SSN has been provided. 
• An active résumé is created and accessible for employers. 

For any questions about completing your work registration or setting up your résumé, contact your local IowaWORKS center. 

To remain eligible for unemployment benefits, you must keep your résumé active on IowaWORKS throughout your claim. You may be required to periodically update your résumé to stay registered for work. If your work registration is not active, you will receive a notice to update your résumé. Failure to do so may result in a denial of benefits. 

Ability to Work and Availability for Work 

You must be able and available for work while claiming benefits. If anything prevents you from working, accepting work, or looking for work most of the week, you need to notify IWD. This includes situations like: 

• Illness, injury, or hospitalization 
• Being in jail 
• Attending school 
• Being on vacation or out of town 
• Lack of childcare 
• Lack of transportation 

Call us at 1-866-239-0843 to report any changes that could affect your benefits. 

Suitable Work/Work Refusals

You are required to search for and accept suitable work, unless this requirement is waived. To determine if a job offer is suitable, factors such as wage, length of unemployment, working conditions, and job duties are considered. 

Wage requirements are based on your earnings in the highest quarter of your base period. The total earnings for that quarter are divided by 13 (the number of weeks in a quarter) to calculate the average weekly wage (AWW). 

Example: Your earnings in the high quarter are $5,200. Divide $5,200 by 13, which is $400. This equals $10 per hour in a 40-hour work week. 

A job offer may be considered suitable if the wages offered meet or exceed certain percentages of the AWW: 

• 100 percent if work is offered during the week that the claim is established or during the first week of a claim 
• 90 percent if work is offered during the 2nd and 3rd week of a claim 
• 80 percent if work is offered during the 4th and 5th week of a claim 
• 70 percent if work is offered during the 6th, 7th or 8th week of a claim 
• 60 percent if work is offered during or after the 9th week of a claim 

Example: If you are offered work that pays $290 per week ($7.25 per hour in a 40-hour work week) during the fourth week of the claim, the job offer is not considered suitable, because it is below 80 percent of your AWW. You are not required to accept any job offers that are below the federal or state minimum wage. 

When you file a weekly claim, you must report if you refused any job offers or referrals during that week. 

Pensions, Military, and Retirement Payouts 

When you file a weekly claim, you must report any pension payments fully paid by your employer or the military, as well as any 401k payouts or similar periodic or lump-sum payments. You will be contacted to provide the following details: 

• Name of contributing employer(s) 
• Percent employer contributed 
• Date you received or began receiving the payout 
• Gross amount of payout 

Once the above information is received, we will determine if the payment is deductible from unemployment insurance benefits.