Can I file for unemployment if I have two jobs - NYS Department of Labor question
I'm really confused about this situation and hoping someone can help me understand the rules. I currently work two part-time jobs - one at a retail store (about 25 hours/week) and another doing delivery driving (15-20 hours/week). The retail job just cut my hours down to like 8 hours per week because of slow business, but I still have the delivery job. Can I file for unemployment benefits with NYS Department of Labor even though I still have one job? I'm making way less money now and struggling to pay my bills. Does anyone know how this works when you have multiple employers?
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StardustSeeker
Yes, you can potentially file for unemployment benefits even with multiple jobs! This is called partial unemployment. Since your retail job reduced your hours significantly, you may qualify for benefits through NYS Department of Labor. You'll need to report all your earnings from both jobs when you file your weekly claims, but if your total weekly earnings are below a certain threshold, you can still receive partial UI benefits. The key is that you experienced a reduction in work and wages through no fault of your own.
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Keisha Taylor
AuthorThat's really helpful! Do you know what the earnings threshold is? I'm making maybe $180 a week total now between both jobs, down from about $420 before.
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Paolo Marino
been there done that... had 3 jobs at one point and lost 2 of them, still got unemployment for the lost wages. just make sure you report EVERYTHING when you do your weekly claims or they'll nail you for overpayment later
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Keisha Taylor
AuthorThanks for the warning about reporting everything. How detailed do I need to be about the delivery job since the hours vary so much week to week?
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Amina Bah
The formula is a bit complex, but basically NYS Department of Labor will look at your total earnings for the week and subtract a portion from your weekly benefit amount. You need to report gross earnings from all sources, including tips if you get them from delivery. As long as your reduced income meets their guidelines, you should qualify for some benefits. Make sure to file your claim using the employer that reduced your hours as the primary reason for filing.
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Oliver Becker
omg same situation here!! my restaurant cut me from 30 hrs to 12 but i still work at a coffee shop too. been wondering about this for weeks
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StardustSeeker
You should definitely look into filing! Partial unemployment is designed exactly for situations like yours and the OP's.
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Natasha Petrova
I tried calling NYS Department of Labor about this exact thing last month and could never get through to anyone. The phone system is absolutely terrible - kept getting disconnected after waiting on hold for over an hour multiple times. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you connected to real agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Cost me way less than the wages I was losing by not being able to file properly.
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Javier Hernandez
Wait, you have to pay to talk to unemployment? That seems sketchy...
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Natasha Petrova
No no, it's not paying to talk to unemployment directly. It's a service that helps you get through their phone system faster instead of spending hours trying to reach them yourself. The actual NYS Department of Labor agents you talk to are still the official ones.
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Emma Davis
The whole system is ridiculous if you ask me. Why should someone have to jump through hoops just to get help when their employer screws them over by cutting hours? And then they make it impossible to reach anyone by phone. At least online filing works most of the time now, unlike during the pandemic when everything crashed constantly.
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Oliver Becker
wait so do i need to list both employers when i file or just the one that cut my hours??
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Amina Bah
You'll need to provide information about all your employers from the past 18 months during the initial application process. NYS Department of Labor needs the complete picture of your work history to calculate your benefit amount properly.
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Jake Sinclair
Just wanted to add some practical advice - when you file your weekly claims, keep detailed records of your hours and earnings from both jobs. I use a simple spreadsheet to track everything week by week. Also, if your delivery job pays through apps like DoorDash or Uber, make sure you're tracking those 1099 earnings carefully since they don't withhold taxes. The NYS Department of Labor will want accurate gross earnings reported, and having good records will save you headaches if they ever audit your claim.
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