More than 1700 unemployment claims were
filed in North Carolina on Tuesday.
More than 1800, the day before the
pandemic is still hitting people hard and
unemployment can be tricky to navigate.
NC Works executive director Chris Rivera
for Guilford, an NC works Greensboro,
accountability specialists.
All majied join us now to answer
your questions about unemployment
and how the work search.
Is going get answers by texting
us your questions at 336-379-5775.
Again, this is a text only,
so please don't call.
Hey Chris, let's first start off with this.
Everything changed on June 6 when it comes
to unemployment benefits and the work search.
So kind of give us the big picture of that.
Yeah, so if we think back a
couple of months ago it was said
that anyone who was approved for
benefits after March 13th would
have to look for work affective.
June 6 that is now applicable
to anyone who is collecting any
level of unemployment benefits.
Whether that state unemployment,
whether that's you know the PUA or the PE,
you see individuals now have to
document three job searches per week
and register and NC works online.
Failure to do so could compromise.
Continue payment or department
of unemployment benefits.
OK alright so with that
said, we want to be really
crystal clear about that.
Everyone who is filing for
unemployment an wants to receive
benefits must do a job search.
So what does that entail
and where do we start?
What are the big like?
5 things that we need to know so well.
I think that's all you.
Absolutely. So the first step is making
sure that you go to ncworks.gov and create
that account with a valid email address,
and then there's a few things you
can do to start meeting that job.
Search criteria number one you
can search and apply for jobs by
submitting a resume and application
directly on ncworks.gov number.
To register for workshops
or attend virtually.
You can complete some courses on soft
skills like professional etiquette
or communication #3 you can take some
career assessments on ncworks.gov.
Find out what your skills are or your.
Work interests you can visit us
at B&C Works Career Center to get
some one on one career counseling
and you can attend one of our many
hiring events virtually or in person.
And to prepare for those events you
can talk with the career advisor or
attend to workshops you get more
comfortable with interviews and
create an All Star rising name.
All of that counts as your job
search criteria for unemployment.
Alright,
so I mean
you have a lot of options there,
it's not just you know.
Going door to door or putting in a
whole bunch of resumes on line so
you have a lot of different options.
Chris let's talk about how many times
you have to do that search in a week.
Yeah, so the mandate requires that
individuals have to document and
minimum of three work searches,
whereas follow, you know,
went down a host of different ways
that you can accomplish that.
The state will only recognize
workforce activities,
meaning attending a employability skills
workshop or some sort of training
activities as one of those workers.
So you have to contact in apply
for at least two jobs with actual
employers or position and one of
those work search activities.
Can be participating in appointment
workshop to satisfy that right?
So that's a good thing to
clarify. So to really do have to be
some kind of resume or applying for a
job and then one can be one of those
other five that we were talking bout
workshops or that kind of thing?
OK, does a job fair play into that?
I'm sorry, I know it probably was
on that list of five, but I want to
clarify. Yeah it would.
Yeah, I'm sorry. Go ahead. No,
that's OK. So I hiring event is
exactly what the job search is.
Therefore you're there to get employed.
What better way to do that by attending?
Hiring event and you do want to on that
document that Chris was talking about.
They wear that hiring event was
happening and the date and time
because it will be checked out,
but does count as one of your criteria
right now. Let's take a look at
that because we Guilford works.
ANSI works there has a hiring
event an it is tomorrow.
So we want to make sure that
everybody knows that that event
is happening tomorrow and the
times it's from 10 until two
and it's at the Greensboro, NC.
Works Career Center.
Can you tell me a little bit about some
of the jobs that will be available?
Sure, so there will be both full time
and part time positions available.
We've got some fantastic employers
coming out including Allied,
Universal TRC staffing services.
CAMCO and the Greensboro Fire department.
OK, great alright? So Chris,
we're getting this question about
the work search. They say what if
you went to work part time or less?
Do you still need to do the job search?
So if an individual is electing unemployment
and they are collecting a partial plane,
they're still a claim that they would
have to still document work search.
And it sounds counterintuitive,
IE you're working, but you're still
collecting benefits in the purest
sense of the law or the mandate.
Anyone who is receiving unemployment
benefits as constant look for in
document three work searches per week.
OK, this one's a little complicated.
We'll see if we know what the answer is here.
It says I'm self employed.
Do I also have to register with NC works
and show that I've applied for three
jobs a week even though I own my own
business and I'm waiting for my
account sites to reopen absolutely.
I've had several of these conversations over
the past week in preparation of the six.
Anyone who is collecting benefits,
meaning individuals who are collecting
the pandemic unemployment assistance,
EUA is required to look for work as well.
I have. Hard instances in which
individuals have written letters to the
state identifying themselves as business
owners and their inability to operate
or put themselves back on payroll and
the state has uploaded that information
to their documents page in the plane,
at home page.
However, there is no guarantee that,
if requested to document or present
documents, that you have to look for,
work or have registered dental work
that if you don't produce that that
your benefits will not be cut off.
So I would say until further guidance
is released for PAYWAY recipients
from the state.
Please do look for work and document
that and be prepared to provide it
to individuals upon work class.
Yeah,
this person kind of follow up and
said does calling on your current
customers count if you're self
employed as a job application?
Great question and I wouldn't be comfortable.
Yeah, I appreciate the creativity,
but I'm not going to appointment.
Yeah, it is kind of one
of those things where at this point we
don't know what the state is going to do,
so you probably should do that
and keep the paperwork up and
then we can see what happens when.
OK alright, we're going to come back
and continue to take your questions.
You can continue to text them.
We've got one more segment.
Will be back in just a minute.