Vermont Department of Labor requires 3 work search contacts per week as a condition of receiving Vermont UI Online benefits — each contact must be logged in Vermont UI Online during your weekly certification, with enough detail to survive an audit.
- Make 3 verifiable work search contacts per week. Log them in Vermont UI Online with employer name, date, position, and contact method — vague entries fail audits.
- Online applications, LinkedIn submissions, in-person visits, and referrals through Vermont's career centers all count. Remote job applications are acceptable under Vermont Department of Labor's current standards.
- Vermont Department of Labor may audit your work search records. Keep a personal work search log with screenshots and confirmation emails to back up your Vermont UI Online entries.
Always verify exact numbers, deadlines, and forms on Vermont Department of Labor's official website – this page provides general guidance, not state-specific legal advice.
What Counts as a Valid Contact
A qualifying work search contact under Vermont Department of Labor's standards includes: submitting a job application (online or in person) to an employer; contacting an employer directly to inquire about open positions; accepting and acting on a job referral from Vermont's career center network; attending a job fair and making verifiable employer contacts; or other job-seeking activities Vermont Department of Labor recognizes. Vermont's Vermont Job Link (joblink.vermont.gov) lists in-state openings from Vermont employers; applications through the system count as contacts. You must record each contact specifically: employer name, date, position, and method. "Applied to Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinic for registered nurse position via their careers website on June 18" passes an audit. "Applied online" does not.
Vermont Career Center Network
Vermont Department of Labor operates Career Centers across the state in Burlington, Barre, Bennington, Brattleboro, Morrisville, Newport, Rutland, Springfield, and St. Johnsbury. Career Center services — resume review, job referrals, skills workshops, and employer connections — count toward your weekly search requirement. Vermont's small state size means Career Center staff develop real knowledge of local employer hiring needs and can make targeted referrals. Registering with Vermont Job Link and using Career Center referral services also creates a documented record that's easy to show in an audit.
Remote Applications and Vermont's Small Labor Market
Vermont has a relatively small geographic labor market. Remote job applications — positions in other states you'd be willing to take, or fully remote roles — count toward your 3-contact requirement under Vermont Department of Labor's standards. Workers in smaller Vermont cities like Newport, Morrisville, or Springfield face thinner local job markets than Burlington workers. Document remote and out-of-state applications specifically so Vermont Department of Labor can verify them. The 3-contact minimum is a floor — more contacts, all documented, give you a stronger audit position.
Frequently Asked Questions
- I'm a Killington ski instructor looking for work after the season. There aren't many ski-related jobs right now. What counts as my 3 Vermont work search contacts this week?
- Expand your search beyond ski-specific work. Year-round outdoor recreation employers (camping, hiking, mountain biking operations), fitness centers, coaching positions, and any industry where your physical education, training, or customer service skills transfer all count as valid contacts. Vermont's Career Center in Rutland or Burlington can help identify transferable opportunities. Out-of-state resort positions for the upcoming season also count as valid contacts if you're willing to take them. For this week: three specific, documented applications or employer contacts — employer name, date, position — logged in Vermont UI Online. Seasonal job-seekers navigating the off-season are common in Vermont's UI system; Vermont Department of Labor doesn't expect you to only apply for ski jobs.
- I applied to 10 jobs on Vermont Job Link this week. Do I have to log all 10 in Vermont UI Online?
- Vermont's requirement is 3 contacts per week minimum — you need to log at least 3. You don't have to log all 10, but logging more than 3 creates a stronger audit position if Vermont Department of Labor ever reviews your records. For each entry you log in Vermont UI Online: employer name, date applied, position title, and application method (Vermont Job Link submission). Vermont Job Link automatically records your submissions in the system's history, which serves as backup documentation. Keep a separate personal log as well — note all 10 applications with enough detail to reconstruct them if you're ever audited. Vermont Department of Labor auditors can verify Vermont Job Link applications directly, so those are among the cleanest contacts you can log.
- Vermont Department of Labor sent me a work search audit letter. What should I provide?
- Respond to the audit letter by the deadline it specifies. Gather your full work search records for every week under audit: employer names, dates, positions, application methods, and any confirmation emails or screenshots. If you applied through Vermont Job Link, your submission history is logged there. If you applied to company career pages, check your email for application confirmation messages. If you visited employers in person, write a contemporaneous account of the visit with the details you remember. Vermont Department of Labor's audit compares your Vermont UI Online log entries against verifiable evidence. Specific entries match well; vague ones fail. Provide what you have organized by week, and explain any weeks where documentation is thinner due to circumstances outside your control.
- I was offered a minimum-wage job in Newport while collecting Vermont UI and making $757/week in benefits. Do I have to take it?
- Vermont law requires you to accept "suitable work" — but suitable considers your training, experience, prior wage level, and the distance from your home. A minimum-wage job when you previously earned $757+/week in a professional role may not be "suitable" under Vermont's standards, particularly early in your benefit year. Vermont Department of Labor evaluates job offer refusals individually. However, as your benefit period extends, Vermont Department of Labor may broaden what qualifies as suitable. If you refuse the offer, report it honestly in Vermont UI Online during that week's certification — never claim no offer was made when one was. Vermont Department of Labor will review the refusal and determine whether it was justified.
- I'm doing approved workforce training at Vermont Technical College while on UI. Do I still have to make 3 work search contacts per week?
- Vermont Department of Labor may waive or modify the work search requirement for approved training programs. If Vermont Department of Labor or Vermont's Career Center referred you to Vermont Technical College's program as part of an approved training plan, the certification requirements should reflect that — you may be exempt from the 3-contact requirement for weeks you're attending training. Confirm this with Vermont Department of Labor before skipping work search contacts. If you're attending training you arranged independently without Vermont Department of Labor approval, standard work search requirements still apply. Get written confirmation of any work search waiver and keep it with your Vermont UI Online records.