Later this month, Georgia will reinstate its requirement that those receiving state unemployment benefits prove they are actively looking for work. At the same time, the state will stop participating in pandemic programs that have allowed jobless residents to get extra financial support from the federal government.
State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that the requirement to look for work, suspended during the pandemic, will go back into effect June 27. The day before, federal unemployment benefits will be cut.
Butler said the economy is returning to normal and so should the rules intended to keep jobless Georgians looking for work. “We adjusted many of our regulations during the pandemic to make receiving benefits easier during the crisis and now those modifications are no longer necessary,” he said.
Besides submitting proof of a job search each week, any Georgia resident receiving unemployment benefits must register for employment services with EmployGeorgia, he said. That jobs site lists about 238,000 job openings, according to the Department of Labor.
