If I have 2 jobs and get fired from one, can I collect California EDD unemployment?

Wait so they calculate benefits based on BOTH jobs even though I only lost one of them? I wasn't expecting that, I thought they'd only look at the job I got fired from.

Exactly right. EDD looks at your total wages during the base period (generally the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters). Both employers' wages count toward establishing your claim and your weekly benefit amount. Then when you certify each week, you report what you're earning from your remaining job and EDD adjusts your payment accordingly.

This is correct. The partial unemployment rules in California are actually more generous than most people realize. You just have to make sure your earnings from the job you kept don't exceed your weekly benefit amount, otherwise the math won't work out to any payment.

Good to know about listing all employers, I wasn't sure if I should mention my current job or not. Was there anything confusing about the weekly certification with partial income?

yeah the earnings reporting threw me off at first. whatever you earn in a week you report it and they deduct 75 cents for every dollar you earned over $25. so if your benefit amount is like $200 and you earn $300 that week from your main job, you'd get a reduced benefit or nothing depending on the math. EDD website actually has a calculator you can use to estimate

The part about my current employer being notified actually did worry me a little, glad you addressed that. And yes definitely filing today after reading these responses.

this is really solid advice especially the part about filing right away. i waited like 3 weeks when i got laid off once because i thought i had to wait for my last paycheck first. cost me weeks of benefits i never got back

Exactly - file immediately and don't wait for anything. Final paychecks, vacation payouts, severance - none of that should stop you from filing the same week you lose the job.

I've literally never been able to get through to EDD on the phone so this is actually really helpful. Did the agent just confirm eligibility or did they actually help with the filing itself?

the agent mostly answered my questions and confirmed what I needed to do. filing itself you do online but having my questions answered first made me way less nervous about making mistakes on the application

I've been trying to reach EDD for two weeks about a different issue, just checked out claimyr.com from your comment. honestly anything is better than the hold music abyss I keep ending up in

Unfortunately there are filing deadlines. Generally you need to file within a few weeks of becoming unemployed to get benefits from that period. Going back 8 months would likely be outside the window. You could still try filing and see what EDD determines but I wouldn't get your hopes up about backdated benefits for those weeks.

ugh that's what I was afraid of. this thread is making me wish I'd known this sooner. gonna bookmark this for the future at least

Yeah the deadline thing is real. The claim effective date being the Sunday you file means every week you delay is just gone. Really important info for anyone who finds this thread in the future - file immediately even if you're not sure you qualify, you can always withdraw the claim later

Big difference actually. If you voluntarily quit without what EDD considers 'good cause' you'll likely be disqualified. Good cause can include things like unsafe working conditions, significant reduction in pay or hours, harassment - basically situations where a reasonable person would feel compelled to leave. Just not liking the job or finding it inconvenient doesn't usually qualify. Layoff/restructuring like OP has is much cleaner.

ok good to know. my friend had her hours cut from 20 to like 6 a week and then 'quit' - would that count as good cause?

A significant reduction in hours like that could actually qualify as a constructive discharge which is essentially being forced out. EDD would look at the specifics but going from 20 to 6 hours is pretty drastic. Your friend should definitely file and explain the circumstances rather than assuming disqualification.

Three weeks is longer than I was hoping but good to know what to expect. Is there anything that can slow down approval even more or cause it to get stuck in adjudication?

From what I understand, if your former employer contests the claim or disputes the reason for separation, that can trigger adjudication which drags things out significantly. Since yours was a clear restructuring layoff they probably won't fight it and the process should be smoother. Keep documentation of anything they told you about why you were let go just in case.

Good advice on the documentation. An email or letter from the employer stating the position was eliminated is gold if EDD ever asks questions. If you have anything like that in writing from the retail job, save it somewhere safe.

In California, virtually all employers are required to participate in the state unemployment insurance program regardless of size. Even employers with just one employee are generally required to pay into UI. The only real exceptions are some specific categories like certain family employment situations, religious organizations, or very specific agricultural circumstances. A retail store of any meaningful size would definitely be covered.

ok good to know, I was worried about that for my own situation. I work for a small boutique

As long as they're a legitimate business paying wages and not paying you under the table, you should be fine. If wages were reported on a W-2 they were almost certainly paying into UI.

Always report gross wages - meaning before taxes and deductions. And you report earnings for the week you actually WORKED them, not when you get paid. So if your paycheck covers work you did two weeks ago, you'd report those earnings in the week you worked, not the week you received the check. This trips a lot of people up.

YES that's exactly what confused me, the timing of reporting. I kept reporting when I got paid not when I worked and I'm not sure if that caused problems or not. OP take note of this one

This is super important, thanks for bringing it up. So I'd need to track which hours correspond to which certification week. Got it.

Oh I hadn't even thought about job search requirements. Does that mean I need to be applying for other retail jobs even though I have my main job?

Essentially yes, you're supposed to be actively seeking work to restore your total income. EDD's current requirement is to make at least 3 job search contacts per week. Keep a log with dates, company names, contact methods, and outcomes. You probably won't get audited but if you do you want that documentation.

The work search requirement catches so many people off guard. I got hit with an overpayment once because I didn't fully understand what counted as a valid job contact. Make sure you're documenting actual applications or outreach, not just browsing job listings.

That's a good heads up, I'll watch out for that section. The application has more nuance than I expected.

yeah I almost tripped on that part. the application is mostly straightforward but there are a few spots where the wording is confusing if you're not already familiar with the lingo

Correct. 'Able and available' refers to your physical and logistical ability to work if offered a position, not whether you already have work. Having a part time job doesn't affect this answer.

This is really encouraging to hear. 18 days to approval is totally manageable. Did you have any complications during the process?

The only hiccup was my former employer took about 10 days to respond to EDD's inquiry which added a little time. But once they confirmed the layoff it moved quickly. Make sure your contact info in UI Online is current so you don't miss any notices from EDD.

love seeing actual success stories in these threads instead of just horror stories. good to know the system can actually work

Having them actually run through the benefit math with me would be really valuable. I've been trying to figure out the calculation myself and I keep getting different numbers.

The formula is on the EDD website but it's not super intuitive. The agent explained it way more clearly than the written instructions. Basically your weekly benefit amount is calculated first, then your ongoing job earnings reduce it based on that 75 cent per dollar formula, and you want to make sure you understand what your floor is so you know if it's even worth certifying some weeks

That benefit math calculation thing is genuinely confusing. I called EDD multiple times about it before I understood it. If Claimyr can get you through faster that's a real time saver compared to sitting on hold for hours

If the main job loss happens while a current claim is open and within the benefit year, OP would update their certification to reflect $0 earnings from that employer and would receive a higher benefit payment up to their weekly benefit amount. They wouldn't need to file a completely new claim necessarily, though if their benefit year has expired a new claim would be required. It's worth calling EDD or checking UI Online if that situation ever comes up since the specifics depend on timing.

that makes sense, good to know it's not always starting over from scratch

Right, the claim is tied to your benefit year not your employment status. Losing additional income just changes your weekly certification amounts rather than requiring a brand new application in most cases.

Yes there are minimum earnings requirements. In California you generally need to have earned at least $1,300 in your highest earning quarter during the base period, OR at least $900 in your highest quarter AND total base period earnings of 1.25 times your high quarter earnings. If your second job paid very little or you worked there only briefly, you might not meet those thresholds. OP mentioned $340 a week which should add up to enough over a quarter to meet the minimums but it depends on how long they worked there.

my second job was only like 2 months of work so the earnings were low, that's probably why. wish I'd known about this before filing. OP make sure you meet the threshold before getting your hopes up

I worked at the retail store for about 14 months so I should have enough earnings in the base period. Thanks for flagging this, I'm going to double check the numbers just to be sure before filing.

overpayment notices are genuinely terrifying. Got one for $2,100 once because of a reporting error and it took months to sort out. Report everything, always.

exactly. EDD cross-references wage data and employer payroll records so they WILL find out eventually. the overpayment with interest and potential fraud flags isn't worth it

Noted. I'll be meticulous about reporting everything. Not worth the risk of an overpayment situation.

Yes and in OP's favor. If the main job cuts hours and pay, OP is earning less, which means the reduction to their weekly benefit amount is smaller, so they'd receive more from EDD that week. The formula adjusts each week based on what you actually earn so it's responsive to changes in your ongoing employment situation. You'd just accurately report the lower earnings when you certify.

oh interesting so it's kind of like a safety net that expands when other income shrinks. that's actually pretty elegant

That's exactly right. The UI system is designed to partially replace lost wages, so as your remaining work income fluctuates your benefit adjusts to maintain a more stable total income level. It's not perfect but that's the theory.

Gig work is different territory. As an independent contractor doing DoorDash, those earnings aren't subject to regular state UI taxes so they don't count toward your base period wages for a claim and you can't claim against DoorDash if that income dries up. However if you lose your traditional W-2 job AND you have gig income on the side, you'd report the gig earnings when certifying as income that reduces your benefit. It's complicated and honestly talking to an EDD agent would be worth it for your specific situation.

ugh figures the gig economy side would be messy. thanks for the heads up, I'll try to get someone at EDD on the phone to explain my specific situation before I file anything

for getting through to EDD, genuinely try Claimyr at claimyr.com - it's the only way I've actually managed to reach a live agent without spending my whole day redialing. For a complicated situation like mixing gig and W-2 work you really want to talk to someone rather than guess

Good luck! Based on everything you described your case sounds solid. Keep an eye on your UI Online account and email for any requests for additional information from EDD. Respond to those quickly if they come because delays in response can slow down your approval.

Rooting for you! The waiting is the hardest part but it sounds like you did everything right. Come back and update when it goes through.

Great move filing right away. You did exactly what you should have done. Make sure you start your job search log immediately even during the waiting period because your job search activities are supposed to begin from when the claim is filed, not from when it's approved.