Arkansas Division of Workforce Services requires 3 documented work search contacts per week while collecting unemployment benefits. Contacts must be logged in DWS Online UI before your weekly certification and must be genuine attempts to secure full-time employment — saving a job posting URL without actually applying does not count. Arkansas Workforce Centers provide employer connections, resume services, and job leads that fulfill the 3-contact requirement while accelerating your job search.
- 3 contacts required per week. Log each one in DWS Online UI before certifying for that week.
- Arkansas Workforce Centers help generate qualified contacts faster than independent online searches.
- With only 16 weeks available in Arkansas, work search compliance is critical — a disqualification cuts into your already-short benefit window.
Always verify exact numbers, deadlines, and forms on the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services' official website – this page provides general guidance, not state-specific legal advice.
What Counts as a Valid Arkansas Work Search Contact
Arkansas Division of Workforce Services accepts: job applications submitted to employers (online, in-person, or mail), job interviews, resume submissions to staffing agencies, and contacts made through Arkansas Workforce Centers. For each contact, log: the employer name, address or website, position applied for, date of contact, method of contact, and the result. Arkansas audits work search logs — logs with incomplete information or generic entries ("Applied at website") may be rejected. Apply to specific positions at specific employers, not just company names without positions.
Frequently Asked Questions
- I live in rural Arkansas and there aren't 3 suitable jobs per week in my local market. Can I apply to jobs in other states?
- Yes — Arkansas Division of Workforce Services counts applications to employers in other states toward your 3-contact requirement. You must be genuinely willing to accept the positions and available to start work. Remote job applications also count, particularly valuable for workers in rural Arkansas counties where local job density is lower. Log out-of-state contacts the same way as local ones: employer name, state, city, position, application date, method, and result. Arkansas Workforce Centers with job listing databases that include regional and national employers can help identify qualified out-of-state positions.
- I'm a displaced Arkansas timber or agricultural worker. Do seasonal re-hire contacts count toward my 3 weekly contacts?
- Contacting prior seasonal employers about future rehire availability can count if there is a genuine open position or hiring timeline to inquire about — simply calling a company to ask whether they are hiring in general without a specific position opening is marginal. For agriculture and timber workers in Arkansas, Arkansas Workforce Centers have specific reemployment programs and employer connections. Trade Adjustment Assistance programs may also be available if your industry displacement was trade-related. Log each employer contact specifically with the position type, date, and what was communicated.
- I completed 2 contacts this week but a medical appointment prevented me from completing the 3rd. What happens?
- Failing to complete all 3 required Arkansas work search contacts can result in disqualification for that week. Contact Arkansas Division of Workforce Services immediately and explain the documented medical circumstance. Arkansas may excuse a deficient week for documented illness that prevented work search activity — but the documentation must cover the specific days when the third contact could have been made. Medical appointments alone (without the appointment preventing you from making an additional job application online or otherwise) may not excuse the full third contact. If possible, make the third contact on a different day of the week to avoid this situation.
- Can I use LinkedIn applications toward my Arkansas 3-contact requirement?
- Yes — LinkedIn "Easy Apply" and standard LinkedIn job applications submitted to specific employers for specific positions count as valid Arkansas work search contacts. Log the employer company name, position title, LinkedIn application URL or job ID, and application date. "Following" a company or viewing a job posting without applying does not count. Arkansas Division of Workforce Services may request your application confirmation emails during an audit — most LinkedIn applications send email confirmations, which you should save. Indeed, Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, and other online job platforms are equally valid for Arkansas's 3-contact requirement.
- Arkansas Division of Workforce Services sent me a notice saying my work search documentation was insufficient. I have 20 days left in my 16-week benefit period. What should I do?
- Respond to Arkansas Division of Workforce Services immediately — don't wait. Gather all your work search logs from DWS Online UI and supplement with any documentation you have outside the system: application confirmation emails, interview confirmation emails, staffing agency correspondence. Contact Arkansas Division of Workforce Services to explain and provide the additional documentation. If the notice results in a formal disqualification, file an appeal within 20 days using the appeal process. With only 20 weeks remaining in your benefit period, every week of disqualification is particularly costly — act on this notice the same day you receive it.