How To Find Out Employment Dates

Knowing your employment dates can be helpful when applying for a new job, filling out a loan application or updating your resume. Dates of employment allow potential employers and others to see how long you were employed in a certain position.

• Contact your previous employer. Previous employers should be able to look up your employment history and employment dates in their system. Most employers keep employee files for at least seven years after their last date of employment.


• Fill out Form SSA-7050 from Social Security Administration to request your employment history. Employers are required to report your earnings and dates of employment to the Social Security Administration. The Social Security Administration does charge a small fee for a records request.


• Find your W-2s from all your employers. Using your W-2s can be helpful in getting a general idea of when you may have worked somewhere. If you cannot locate your W-2s, you can request a copy of your previous year’s tax returns by filling out IRS form 4506 and paying a fee for each year you request.


• Contact your state's unemployment compensation tax division. Employers are required to file quarterly unemployment tax forms, which will list you as an employee. You may be able to gather dates of employment from them to estimate when you were employed.


• Consider keeping a record of your employment history for future use. A simple record could include your start and end date, and the name, address and phone number of your employer.