BATON ROUGE - If you're collecting unemployment, you'll now be required to look for a job. That typical unemployment requirement was waved the last few months during the pandemic.

With the extra Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation ending July 31, millions of Americans are now living off significantly less unemployment benefits. FPUC provided an additional $600 per week to people who lost their job of faced a reduction in hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We know the state benefit is $247 a week, and people are simply not going to be able to survive on that," said Governor John Bel Edwards at his news conference Thursday.

The state says because of that benefit reduction, people need to go back to the workforce.

"We decided that if we bring back work search, that might be a structured way for people to begin looking for work," said Asst. Unemployment Insurance Secretary Robert Wooley.

Since March, the Louisiana Workforce Commission has paid out over $5 billion in unemployment insurance to 400,000 Louisiana residents. The commission says to continue collecting unemployment insurance jobless Louisianians will have to prove they're looking for work.

"We think that people do understand that as small as the benefit is going to become and with the $600 gone, they need to do something," said Wooley. "Even a lot of people who may be furloughed might want to look for some type of interim employment to add to their benefits so that they'll have enough to pay their bills."

The requirement includes applying to three jobs. The LWC says jobs are listed on the commission's website. More details about work search can be found here. Potential employees can apply online and attend virtual job fairs.