Can I get ny unemployment while still working part-time with reduced hours?

Yes, you can absolutely file for unemployment while working reduced hours. It's called partial unemployment. You'll have to report your weekly earnings when you certify and they'll deduct a portion from your benefit. I went through this last year when my company cut everyone to 18 hours a week. Just be super accurate with reporting your income or they'll come after you later.

Been there, done that. I was hitting roadblocks for weeks trying to get partial benefits when my hours got slashed. Kept calling the unemployment office and getting nowhere - busy signals or endless holds. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual human at the unemployment office! Talking to an agent got my $ unlocked so fast I couldn't believe it. Check out this video if you're curious how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

The rule of thumb in NY is that you can earn up to 30% of your weekly benefit rate without reduction. Anything over that reduces your benefit $1 for $1. So if your weekly benefit would be $300, you can earn up to $90 without reduction. If you earn $150 that week, you'd get $240 in benefits ($300-($150-$90)). Hope that helps!

i was in this exact situation!! they cut my hours at walmart from 38 to like 22 a few months back. you can DEFINITELY get partial unemployment but you gotta be careful with how much you work. if you make too much in a week you might not get any benefits for that period. the magic number is 30% of your benefit amount - you can earn that much without losing benefits. anything over that gets deducted dollar for dollar.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST WORKERS! These companies do this on purpose - cut you just enough that you're desperate but not enough to get full benefits. I went thru the same BS with my restaurant job. They scheduled me juuuust under the threshold where I'd get decent UI benefits. Its all a scam to keep us poor and desperate.

Here's a detailed breakdown of how partial unemployment works in New York: 1. Yes, you can claim benefits with reduced hours. This is exactly what the system is designed for. 2. When you certify each week, you'll report the exact number of days you worked (even partial days count as full days in NY's system) and your gross earnings. 3. In NY, the system reduces benefits based on days worked: - Work 0 days = 100% of benefit - Work 1 day = 75% of benefit - Work 2 days = 50% of benefit - Work 3 days = 25% of benefit - Work 4+ days = 0% benefit (regardless of earnings) 4. Apply online through NY.gov but be prepared for possibly needing to talk to a representative to explain your situation. This is where services like claimyr.com can help - they'll get you through to an actual person instead of waiting on hold for hours. 5. Keep detailed records of all work hours, earnings, and communications with your employer about the reduction. Hope this helps! The partial UI system can be a lifesaver during reduced hours.

make sure you document EVERYTHING! my employer tried to contest my partial claim saying i was offered more hours but turned them down (i didn't). if you have texts or emails about your schedule cuts SAVE THEM. ny unemployment is a pain to deal with but worth it when ur strugglin

quick question - does anyone know if doing gig work (uber/doordash) while on partial unemployment is allowed? I'm in the same boat as OP but thinking about picking up some delivery gigs on the side.

Whatever you do, DONT LIE about your hours or income when filing. My coworker tried to game the system and ended up having to pay back $4800 plus penalties. They will catch you eventually and it's not worth it. Just be honest with what you report each week.

Pro tip: if you're having trouble reaching someone at the unemployment office (which you probably will), call your state assembly person's office! They have special contacts and can often help push your claim through. Worked for me when I was stuck in pending hell for 6 weeks.

am i the only one who thinks its crazy that we all have to become UI experts just to get the benefits we paid into?? the whole system is designed to be so confusing that people give up. like why tf does NY count days instead of hours??

I went through this exact same situation last year! Yes, you can definitely file for partial unemployment in NY with reduced hours. Just make sure to apply ASAP because there's usually a waiting week before benefits start. When you certify each week, you'll need to report your exact gross earnings (before taxes) and the number of days you worked. The key thing to remember is NY counts DAYS not hours - so if you work even 1 hour on a day, that counts as a full work day for their calculations. Keep all your pay stubs and any communication about the hour reduction. Your employer might contest it but if they cut your hours due to "seasonal adjustments" that's usually considered involuntary reduction. The partial benefits really helped me bridge the gap while job hunting. Good luck!

I'm in a similar situation - my hours got cut from 35 to about 18 per week at my job. Reading through all these responses is super helpful! One thing I'm wondering about - when you apply for partial unemployment, do they base your weekly benefit amount on your full-time earnings from before the cut, or do they use your current reduced income to calculate it? Also, has anyone had issues with employers trying to schedule you weird hours to mess with your benefits? Like spreading minimal hours across more days to trigger that "4+ days = 0 benefits" rule?

This is such an important thread! I'm dealing with something similar - my retail job cut me from 32 hours to about 12-15 hours per week back in October. The hardest part for me was understanding that NY counts ANY work on a day as a full day, even if it's just a 2-hour shift. So if they schedule you to work 3 hours on Monday, 3 hours on Tuesday, 3 hours on Wednesday, and 3 hours on Thursday (12 total hours), you get ZERO unemployment benefits because you worked 4 days. But if you work 12 hours all in one day, you'd get 75% of your weekly benefit! It's such a backwards system. I ended up having to negotiate with my manager to cluster my shifts into fewer days. Also pro tip - when you apply, make sure you select "lack of work" as your reason and mention the specific reduction in hours. The system is definitely confusing but once you get it figured out, partial UI can really help cover the gap while you're job searching.

I'm going through this exact same thing right now! My hours got slashed from 38 to around 20 per week at my job in November and I was so confused about whether I could even apply for unemployment while still working. Reading through everyone's responses here has been incredibly helpful - especially learning about that weird day-counting system NY uses instead of hours. I had no idea that working 4+ days automatically disqualifies you regardless of how few hours each day is. That seems so backwards! I'm definitely going to try negotiating with my scheduler to group my shifts into 2-3 longer days instead of having them spread out. Has anyone had success explaining this situation to their manager without it seeming like you're trying to game the system? I'm nervous about bringing it up but the extra benefits would make such a difference right now while I'm job hunting.

I'm in almost the exact same situation as you! My hours got cut from 40 to about 18 per week at my retail job in October. After reading through all these responses, I just wanted to add a couple things that helped me when I applied: 1. When you file online, there's a section asking about your reason for filing - make sure you select "lack of work" or "reduction in hours" rather than anything that sounds like you quit or were fired. 2. Keep screenshots or photos of your work schedule showing the hour reduction. I wish I had done this from the beginning because my manager kept changing the schedule in the system. 3. The waiting week is real - so apply as soon as possible! I waited thinking things might get better and lost out on a week of benefits. 4. If your employer contests your claim (mine did), don't panic. Just respond honestly about the involuntary hour reduction and provide any documentation you have. The partial benefits definitely helped me stay afloat while job hunting. It's not full pay but every little bit helps when you're struggling to make rent. Good luck with your application - you've got this! And definitely try the shift clustering strategy others mentioned if your manager is flexible.

I just wanted to jump in here because I was in a very similar situation about 6 months ago - hours cut from 35 to around 16 per week at my restaurant job. The partial unemployment definitely saved me during that time! A few things I learned that might help: 1. Apply IMMEDIATELY - don't wait to see if your hours get restored. The waiting week means you're already losing time. 2. When you certify each week, be super precise with your earnings. I used my actual pay stub amounts, not estimates. 3. The day-counting system is brutal but there are ways to work with it. I talked to my manager about "personal scheduling needs" and got most of my shifts condensed into 2-3 days instead of spread out all week. 4. Save every text, email, or written communication about your schedule changes. When my employer initially contested my claim, having documentation of the involuntary hour reduction made all the difference. The whole process was honestly more stressful than it needed to be, but the benefits really helped bridge the gap while I found something better. Don't let the confusing system discourage you from applying - you paid into unemployment insurance and you deserve those benefits when your hours get cut through no fault of your own. Hang in there!

Just went through this exact same situation! Got my hours slashed from full-time to about 15 hours/week at my job back in August. You absolutely CAN get partial unemployment benefits in NY - it's called "partial benefits" and it's specifically designed for situations like yours where hours get reduced involuntarily. Here's what I wish I knew going in: - Apply ASAP! There's a one-week waiting period so don't delay - When you certify weekly, report your GROSS earnings (before taxes) and exact number of DAYS worked (not hours) - NY's weird system counts any work on a day as a full day - so 1 hour = full day, 8 hours = still just one day - You can work up to 3 days and still get partial benefits, but 4+ days = zero benefits regardless of total hours The benefit amount is based on your previous full-time earnings, not your current reduced pay, which is actually good news for you. Just be 100% honest when reporting - they will verify everything with your employer. I ended up asking my manager to schedule me for longer shifts on fewer days instead of spreading short shifts across the week. Framed it as "transportation costs and scheduling preferences" rather than mentioning UI specifically. The partial benefits definitely helped me keep up with rent while job hunting. It's not full pay but way better than nothing when you're struggling. You've got this!

I was in almost the exact same situation last year! My retail hours got cut from 35 to about 20 per week and I was really stressed about making rent. The partial unemployment definitely helped bridge the gap - you can absolutely apply while still working reduced hours. Just a heads up though, the NY system can be really frustrating to navigate. I spent weeks trying to get through on the phone to clarify some questions about my application. Eventually I ended up using a service called Claimyr that helped me actually talk to a real person at the unemployment office. It costs a bit but honestly saved me so much time and stress - they handle the hold times and connect you when an agent picks up. The key things to remember: report your exact gross earnings each week, be honest about everything, and try to cluster your work shifts into fewer days if possible since NY counts days worked rather than hours. Keep all your pay stubs and any communication about the hour cuts. You paid into this system so don't feel bad about using it when you need it! Good luck with your application.

I just want to say thank you SO much to everyone who shared their experiences here! I was honestly feeling pretty overwhelmed and stressed about this whole situation, but reading through all your responses has given me so much hope and practical advice. I had no idea about the day-counting system in NY or that I could potentially negotiate with my manager about clustering shifts. I'm definitely going to apply ASAP since so many of you mentioned the waiting week. It's really reassuring to hear from people who've been through the exact same thing and came out okay. The fact that they base the benefit amount on my full-time earnings rather than current reduced pay is honestly such a relief. I'm going to start gathering all my documentation today and submit my application this weekend. Fingers crossed my employer doesn't contest it, but at least now I know what to expect if they do. You all are lifesavers - seriously! Will update once I get through the process in case it helps other people in similar situations.

I'm in a really similar situation right now - my hours got cut from 32 to about 18 per week at my grocery store job last month. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful! I had no idea that NY counts days worked instead of hours, which seems so backwards to me. The idea about clustering shifts into fewer days is brilliant - I'm definitely going to talk to my supervisor about that. One thing I'm wondering about though - has anyone dealt with employers who are resistant to changing your schedule once they find out you're applying for unemployment? I'm worried my manager might get defensive or think I'm trying to take advantage of the system. Also, for those who successfully got benefits, how much of a difference did it actually make in your monthly budget? I'm trying to figure out if it's worth the potential awkwardness with my employer or if I should just tough it out and keep job hunting without applying. Any advice would be really appreciated!