#!/usr/bin/perl

use strict;
use warnings;

my $data = [
          {
            'date' => '20160101',
            'day' => 'Friday'
          },
          {
            'date' => '20160215',
            'day' => 'Monday'
          },
          {
            'date' => '20160530',
            'day' => 'Monday'
          },
          {
            'date' => '20160704',
            'day' => 'MOnday'
          },
          {
            'date' => '20160905',
            'day' => 'Monday'
          },
          {
            'date' => '20161010',
            'day' => 'Monday'
          },
          {
            'date' => '20161124',
            'day' => 'Thursday'
          },
          {
            'date' => '20161125',
            'day' => 'Friday'
          },
          {
            'date' => '20161226',
            'day' => 'Monday'
          },
          {
            'date' => '20170102',
            'day' => 'Monday'
          }

 ];

my $search = "20161010";

#[choroba] solution....and a good one! 
#my $result = ( grep $_->{date} =~ /^$search$/, @$data ) ? 'Found' : 'Not Found';

#Another way as a demo using "last"
my $found;
foreach my $ref (@$data)
{
    if ($ref->{date} eq $search)
    {
       $found++;
       print "Found $search\n";
       last;  ## stops the foreach loop after "found"
    }

}
print "Not Found: $search \n" if !$found;