Unemployment is particularly pervasive in nonmetropolitan communities with few employment opportunities. The authors examined how unemployed nonmetropolitan adults’ daily affective experiences influenced same‐day and next‐day job search times. Positive affect and high reemployment beliefs were related to higher same‐day, but not next‐day, job search times. Next‐day job search times were higher when job seekers reported high effort and perceived progress on the previous day. Lower job search times occurred after days of low effort with high progress perceptions or if high effort was paired with low progress. Theoretical implications, limitations, and practical applications are discussed.