Good work search activity log examples in Massachusetts share the same bones: a date, the employer or organization, how you made contact, the position or activity, a name or confirmation number, and the result. The Department of Unemployment Assistance requires at least three work search activities each week to keep your unemployment benefits flowing, and your log is the proof that you did them.1Department of Unemployment Assistance. File Your Weekly Unemployment Claim Below are filled-out entries you can model your own on, plus the rules that shape what belongs in each one.
Three Sample Log Entries for One Week
Seeing a complete entry makes the format click faster than any field list. These three cover different kinds of qualifying activities in a single week.
Entry 1 — Online Application
Date: Monday, January 12, 2026
Employer: Baystate Health, Springfield, MA
Contact method: Online application via company careers page
Position: Patient Access Coordinator (Job ID #48231)
Result: Application submitted, confirmation email received
Entry 2 — Career Center Workshop
Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Organization: MassHire Metro North Career Center, Cambridge
Contact method: In-person attendance
Activity: Resume Building Workshop, 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
Result: Completed workshop, revised resume with counselor feedback
Entry 3 — Networking Event
Date: Friday, January 16, 2026
Organization: Boston Chapter, American Marketing Association
Contact method: In-person networking event
Contact person: Jane Rodriguez, Marketing Director at Acme Corp
Result: Exchanged contact information, discussed open Marketing Analyst role
Each one names a real organization, pins down a specific person or confirmation number, and states a concrete outcome. The three activities also fall on three different days. The DUA generally recommends spreading your activities across the week; Massachusetts Board of Review decisions have treated that as a guideline rather than a rigid rule, and a claimant who completed all three activities on the same day has successfully appealed a disqualification. Different days still look better in a review and reflect the sustained effort the agency expects.
Fields Every Entry Needs
At a minimum, every entry in your log should carry these details so the DUA could independently verify it:
- Date you completed the activity.
- Employer or organization name — the company you applied to, the career center you visited, or the group hosting the event.
- Contact method: online application, phone call, email, or in-person visit.
- Contact person’s name or a job posting ID or application confirmation number.
- Position title you applied for or asked about.
- Result: application submitted, interview scheduled, no response yet, position filled.
The DUA reserves the right to contact any employer or organization you list to confirm your entry.1Department of Unemployment Assistance. File Your Weekly Unemployment Claim A vague entry like “searched online” with no employer attached gives you nothing to stand on later. Specific entries hold up; vague ones don’t.
What Counts as a Qualifying Activity
Any of the following count toward your weekly three, and each gives you a different kind of entry to log:1Department of Unemployment Assistance. File Your Weekly Unemployment Claim
- Submitting an application through an employer’s website or a job board like MassHire JobQuest, Indeed, or LinkedIn. Log the employer and a confirmation number or job posting ID.
- Attending a job fair, including MassHire-sponsored events. Record the event name, location, and employers you spoke with.
- Networking at industry meetups or professional association events. Log the host and the names of the professional contacts you made.
- MassHire Career Center workshops on resumes, interview prep, or career planning. Record the center, workshop title, and date.
- Taking a civil service exam for a government position. Log the exam title and the testing date.
- Direct employer contact by phone or in person to ask about openings, with the contact person’s name and a note on what you discussed.
Passively browsing listings without applying does not count. Neither does updating your resume at home. The activity has to involve outward contact with an employer, an organization, or a structured career service. If nobody outside your household could confirm it happened, it probably doesn’t qualify.
One group is exempt from the work search requirement entirely: claimants in a training program approved by the DUA.2Mass.gov. FAQs About Unemployment Insurance for Workers Everyone else logs three activities a week, every week. The underlying statute, M.G.L. c. 151A, § 24(b), requires that you be capable of working, available for work, and actively seeking a job.3General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 151A Section 24 Three activities is how the DUA measures the “actively seeking” piece.
Where Your Log Goes
If you file your weekly claim online, you enter each activity directly into your Unemployment Services for Workers account during certification.2Mass.gov. FAQs About Unemployment Insurance for Workers The system prompts you to describe each activity, and your entries become part of your claim record. There’s no separate paper log to upload; the DUA discontinued the old paper work search log requirement.
If you file by phone, the DUA recommends keeping a written record of your activities so staff can verify them later.1Department of Unemployment Assistance. File Your Weekly Unemployment Claim A downloadable Work Search Activity Log template is available on mass.gov. Even if you file online, keeping your own backup with confirmation numbers and contact details is worth the few minutes. The online system captures summaries; your personal records can hold more.
Why the Detail Matters
If you don’t report at least three activities in a week, you aren’t eligible for benefits that week.2Mass.gov. FAQs About Unemployment Insurance for Workers There is no grace period and no way to backfill a prior week.
If the DUA later decides you received benefits for weeks when you didn’t meet the work search requirement, it will classify those payments as an overpayment and demand repayment. Overpayments caused by fault or fraud carry 12% annual interest beginning 30 days after the overpayment notice, plus a one-time 15% penalty on the amount owed.4Mass.gov. Repay Unemployment Benefit Debt
If you’re disqualified for a work search issue, you have 10 days from the mailing date on your determination letter to appeal.5Mass.gov. Appeal an Unemployment Decision as a Claimant A detailed log is the backbone of that appeal. Entries with employer names, confirmation numbers, and specific contacts give a hearing officer something to credit. Vague entries don’t.
One line to draw clearly: fabricating entries is not a shortcut. Under M.G.L. c. 151A, § 47, knowingly making false statements to obtain unemployment benefits is punishable by up to five years in state prison, or six months to two and a half years in county jail, or a fine between $1,000 and $10,000, or both.6General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 151A Section 47 Each false entry is a separate offense. The point of a detailed log is to document real activity, not to dress up weeks when the work didn’t happen.