Unemployment

One interesting thing I learned about unemployment in my state is that when you report employment, you must also report any volunteer work you've done. I'm not sure what that's in aid of; nor can you get unemployment if you work more than 32 hours in a week, even if what you earn would be less than your unemployment payment.

The only thing I can think of is that if you volunteer too much it gets in the way of actually looking for a job? Because if you're volunteering full time or nearly full time, you're not likely to be spending a lot of time on your job search. On the other hand, you could be gaining valuable skills.

Another thing I don't understand is why the administrator of my Federal loans states on their economic hardship deferment form that you must be looking for any job anywhere. Which makes no sense whatsoever; if I'm unemployed, I'm not going to have the wherewithal to move to another city or the ability to prove income to rent an apartment. If I apply for any job, I'll be overqualified for many, unlicensed in 49 states and the District of Columbia, and many of those jobs won't pay sufficient for me to finance food, clothing and shelter along with the care and feeding of my student loans.

Their requirement is more strict than that of unemployment, which requires you to look for work in your field, within a reasonable distance of your home, that pays no less than your last job. That's a completely different requirement.