Can I claim NY unemployment with a new part-time job (20 hrs/week)?

You would answer YES to returning to work. Then you'll be asked additional questions about your hours worked and earnings for that week. NY unemployment allows partial benefits if you work less than 30 hours and earn below a certain threshold. You'll need to report EXACTLY how many hours you worked each day and your gross earnings (before taxes) for each week you certify. The system will automatically calculate any partial benefits you're eligible for based on what you report. Just be very accurate with your hours and earnings!

i did this last year. def say YES ur working. they reduce ur benefit based on how much u make each week. if u say NO thats fraud & theyll make u pay it all back w/ penalties!!

NYS has a specific formula for partial benefits. For every hour you work, they deduct 25% of your weekly benefit rate. So if you work 20 hours, they'll deduct 500% (5 x 100%) of your benefit amount. You have to stay under 30 hours AND your gross earnings must be below your benefit rate to get anything. For example, if your weekly benefit is $504 and you work 20 hours making $15/hr, that's $300 gross earnings. You'd lose 500% of your benefit due to hours worked, so you wouldn't receive any UI that week despite earning less than your benefit amount. The hours matter more than the dollars in NY's system.

Oh god I'm dealing with this exact situation right now and it's SO FRUSTRATING!!! I've been trying to call DOL for THREE WEEKS to get clarification on how to report my part-time hours. They keep saying different things on their website vs what the automated system asks for! Has anyone actually gotten through to a REAL PERSON lately?? I'm terrified of doing something wrong and then owing them money I don't have!!

I started working part time back in February and I've been reporting it every week. Make sure u keep track of EXACT hours for each day. They'll ask for daily breakdown not just weekly total. And yeah u definitely gotta answer YES to the return to work question. Just be honest about everything and you'll be fine. Better to get reduced benefits than risk an overpayment situation.

It's important to understand that NY's partial unemployment system changed in January 2025. Now you report the exact hours worked each day, and for every hour you work, you lose 25% of your weekly benefit amount. Once you work 4 hours in a day, you've lost 100% of your benefit for that day. For example: - If you work 4+ hours on Monday, you lose 100% of Monday's portion - If you work 2 hours on Tuesday, you lose 50% of Tuesday's portion To directly answer your question: Yes, select that you have returned to work, then report your hours accurately. The system will calculate your partial benefit automatically. Keep detailed records of your work hours and pay for each week in case of an audit.

btw make sure u have ur paystubs handy cause they might audit u later. happened to my roomate and she had to upload all her pay info from 6 months ago!

WAIT WAIT WAIT... So does this mean if I work 2 hours per day, 5 days a week (10 hours total), I lose 250% of my benefit? But if I work 10 hours in just 2 days (5 hours each day), I only lose 200%??? That makes NO sense! Why does it matter HOW the hours are distributed??

Thank you all so much for the help! I think I understand now - I'll definitely answer YES to returning to work, and I'll track my hours meticulously. Since I'll be working 4 hours each day, 5 days a week, it sounds like I probably won't get any UI benefits, which is disappointing but at least I know what to expect. I'll keep certifying every week anyway to keep my claim active while I look for full-time work. Really appreciate all the explanations!