How to Fill Out the California EDD DE 8531 RESEA Questionnaire

The California EDD DE 8531 form is the RESEA Questionnaire you must complete and bring to your Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment appointment. It runs two pages: the front asks 13 questions about your work history, wages, and availability, and the back is a log of every employer you contacted in the two weeks before your appointment. Fill out both sides in full, sign the certification at the bottom of page two, and have it ready when your meeting starts.¹

Before You Start

Download the form from the EDD Jobs and Training forms and publications page.² Print it, or type into the PDF if your reader allows entries. Pull together a few things before you sit down with it:

Your last day of work and last rate of pay.
Job titles and years of experience for each field you’ve worked in.
A list of every employer you contacted in the past two weeks, with dates, addresses, contact names where you have them, and results.
Your union name and number, if you belong to a union.

Completing DE 8531 is one of four required steps before your appointment. The others are watching the RESEA orientation video, logging in to CalJOBS, and adding or updating your résumé in CalJOBS.³

Page One, Questions 1 Through 9: Work History and Job Preferences

Question 1 asks for your usual occupations, your length of experience in each, and your last rate of pay. If you’ve worked in more than one field, list each separately, and use specific job titles instead of catch-all phrases like “office work.”

Question 2 asks for the date you were last employed. Use the actual last day you worked, not the day you filed your claim. Question 3 asks what type of work you’re seeking, which can match your previous role or reflect a change in direction.

Questions 4 through 8 set the practical limits of your job search: the lowest wage you’ll accept (hourly, weekly, or monthly), the shifts you’ll work, your transportation, how long you’ll commute, and the geographic areas you’ll consider. Answer honestly. Very narrow answers, like ruling out all evening shifts or restricting your search to a single neighborhood, can raise questions about whether you’re genuinely available for work, which is a benefit eligibility issue. Question 9 asks how many employers you typically contact each week.¹

Page One, Questions 10 Through 12: Availability, Self-Employment, and School

Question 10 asks whether any days of the week are off-limits for work. If you check “Yes,” list the days and give the reason. Medical appointments, childcare, and other recurring obligations are typical answers.

Question 11 asks whether you’re self-employed or planning to become self-employed. Question 12 asks whether you’re enrolled in or planning to enroll in school or training. A “Yes” to either doesn’t automatically disqualify you, but it will prompt additional review during the appointment, so be prepared to discuss the details.¹

Page One, Question 13: Union Members Only

Question 13 has four parts and applies only to union members. Enter your union name and number, confirm whether you’re registered out-of-work with the union, describe what the union requires for dispatch eligibility, and report whether you’ve missed any roll calls, been dispatched to a job, or refused a dispatch since your last job. If any of those apply, write the date and an explanation. Non-union workers skip this section.¹

Page Two: The Two-Week Work Search Log

The back of the form is a work search record covering the two weeks before your appointment date. EDD expects an entry for every employer you contacted, and the form warns that failing to look for work in any week can affect your benefit eligibility.¹

Each row has six columns:

Date applied: the specific date you reached out.
Company name and address: the employer’s business name and location.
Person contacted: hiring manager, recruiter, or HR representative, if you have a name.
Type of contact: in person, phone, or online.
Type of work applied for: the job title or role.
Results: interview scheduled, application submitted, offer received, no response yet.

Fill in every row you can. Online applications count, including postings you found through job boards, company websites, or CalJOBS. Your career coach will review this log during the meeting and may ask follow-up questions about specific entries.

At the bottom of page two, you sign a certification that your answers are true and correct. The form states that penalties apply for false statements or for withholding facts to receive benefits, so double-check dates, wages, and employer information before signing.¹

What Happens If You Skip It or Fill It Out Incompletely

Participation in RESEA is mandatory once you’re selected. The form states directly that failure to attend may affect your eligibility to receive unemployment insurance benefits.¹ A blank or half-finished questionnaire creates the same problem as skipping the appointment: EDD can’t confirm you’re meeting the requirements to stay on unemployment. Entries showing you refused available work, restricted availability too narrowly, or stopped searching will come up during the eligibility review portion of your meeting and can lead to a determination that affects your benefits.

If You Can’t Make Your Appointment

If a conflict comes up, you can reschedule within the same week by calling the job center listed on your appointment notice.³ A phone call won’t push it to the following week, so contact the job center as soon as you know about the conflict. If you missed the appointment for a legitimate reason like illness, a job interview, or a family emergency, call the job center immediately and explain what happened. Good cause exceptions exist, but you have to raise them proactively.

1
Employment Development Department. Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) Questionnaire
2
Employment Development Department. Jobs and Training – Forms and Publications
3
Employment Development Department. Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment