Form WS 5 at a glance
What it is: Work Search Record: this form may be used to record your work search activities.
Where to get it: You can get more forms at your local New York State Career Center, online at www.labor.ny.gov or in your claimant handbook.
A filled-in Form WS 5 example: three employer contacts in one week
How to fill out Form WS 5, box by box
Week ending, your name and ID number
Under For Week Ending, enter the Sunday date.
Enter your Last Name, First Name and NYS ID#, which is found at the top of appointment letters.
Businesses/Employers Contacted
Under Businesses/Employers Contacted, list jobs you have applied for, interviews you have attended, and businesses/employers you have contacted during the week. All columns should be filled in, to the best of your ability.
Use additional sheets of paper if needed.
Method, contact information and result of each contact
Under Method of contact, enter In person, phone, fax, email, web site, etc.
Under Contact information for method of contact listed, enter the address, telephone number, email, website/URL, fax number.
Under Result of contact, enter if known: Interview, waiting for response, not hired.
Other Work Search Activities
Under Other Work Search Activities, list things you did to find a job that were not business/employer contacts.
Enter the Date of activity and the Activity performed.
Work search activities may include, but are not limited to: (1) Use employment resources available at a local Career Center or through a virtual career center platform provided by the Department of Labor.
(2) Submit job applications or resumes to employers or former employers who may have openings.
(3) Attend job search seminars, career networking meetings, job fairs, or employment-related workshops that offer job-search skills instruction.
(4) Interview with employers.
(5) Register for, apply for, or take job-related or pre-hire tests for a public or private employer.
(6) Register and follow up with private employment agencies, placement services, unions, and placement offices of schools, colleges, or universities, or professional organizations.
(7) Use the telephone, business directories, internet, social media, or online job matching systems to search for jobs, get leads, request referrals, or make appointments for job interviews.
(8) Any other reasonable activity that may help you become employed.
More rules for Form WS 5
After SS No: XXX-XX-, enter the last four digits only.
You must show at least three work search activities for each week that you claim benefits.
If you knowingly give the Department of Labor false statements about your work search activities, it is considered fraud and you may be denied Unemployment Insurance benefits.
You must do at least three work search activities each week, unless you have a Work Search Plan approved by the Department of Labor.
You must actively look for work while claiming Unemployment Insurance benefits.
You must keep a Work Search Record for each week you claim benefits and be prepared to give a copy of that Record to the New York State Department of Labor when requested.
You can also use the Work Search Record on the Jobzone website instead of this form, by clicking the Jobzone Work Search link when you claim weekly Unemployment Insurance benefits online.
Keep copies of your Work Search Records for one year.
Common questions about Form WS 5
Where do I file it?
Do not send your Work Search Record to the Department of Labor unless we ask you to.
Sources
[1] Form WS 5 (01/26), Work Search Record, New York State Department of Labor (the Official source link on this page).