OESC Changes Requirements For New Unemployment Claims

The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission is changing the requirements for people filing new unemployment claims.

The OESC said the initial requirements for work registration were put on hold due to the pandemic but they will start reinforcing those rules again on October 25th.

Claimants will need to register for work using Oklahoma Job Watch or the work registration system in their state and they will need to do two work searches a week to qualify for unemployment benefits.

Commission officials said the job search requirement does not apply if you are temporarily laid off with a definite date for going back to work.

The is also an exemption from the requirement if workers are part of a certified labor or trade union doing an approved training program or workers are on pandemic unemployment assistance.

OESC is also reinstating a one-week waiting period on new unemployment claims starting on October 25th, meaning no payments will be issued during the first week.