Can I work part-time and still collect NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits?

Yes, you can work part-time and still receive partial unemployment benefits in New York! When you file your weekly claim, you'll need to report all gross earnings for that week. NYS Department of Labor will reduce your benefits dollar-for-dollar for earnings over $405 per week (this changes annually). Since you're earning about $320/week at 20 hours x $16, you should still receive some unemployment benefits. Just make sure to report every penny you earn when you certify.

Yes, you can work part-time and still collect partial unemployment benefits in NY. You must report ALL work and earnings when you file your weekly claim. NYS Department of Labor will reduce your weekly benefit amount based on what you earn, but you won't lose benefits completely unless you earn more than your weekly benefit rate plus $50. The formula is: if you earn less than your weekly benefit rate, they deduct 25% of your earnings from your benefit. If you earn more than your weekly benefit rate but less than your weekly benefit rate plus $50, you get $50.

just make sure u report it every week when u certify or they'll hit u with an overpayment later. happened to my cousin and he had to pay back like $2000

Yes, you can work part-time while collecting unemployment in New York, but you need to report all work and earnings on your weekly claim. NYS Department of Labor will reduce your benefit amount based on what you earn. Generally, you can earn up to 25% of your weekly benefit rate without any reduction. Anything above that gets deducted from your benefits dollar for dollar. Make sure you report everything honestly or you could face an overpayment notice later.

Yes, you can work part-time and still collect unemployment benefits in NY. You need to report ALL work and earnings when you file your weekly claim, even if it's just a few hours. NYS Department of Labor will reduce your benefit amount based on how much you earn. Generally, you can earn up to $405 per week (or 25% of your weekly benefit rate, whichever is higher) before they start reducing your benefits dollar for dollar.

just dont report it lol they never check anyway

I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about working part-time while on benefits. Kept getting busy signals and when I did get through, I'd get disconnected. Finally used claimyr.com to get connected to an actual agent - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Was able to get my questions answered about the earnings deduction formula and make sure I was reporting everything correctly.

Also remember you still have to be available for full-time work and actively searching. Taking a part-time job doesn't change your job search requirements. You still need to log your work search activities and be available if a full-time job calls you for an interview.

just be honest about the work when you file your weekly claim. i worked part time at a retail place while collecting and it was fine as long as i reported everything correctly

I'm in a similar situation but having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask questions about my specific case. I've been calling for days and either get busy signals or get disconnected after waiting on hold for over an hour. Has anyone found a way to actually reach someone?

Make sure you understand the work search requirements too. Even if you're working part-time, you still need to be actively looking for full-time work and logging your job search activities. NYS Department of Labor requires 3 work search activities per week unless you're on standby status.

I had trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about working while collecting benefits. If you need to talk to someone directly about your specific situation, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Really helped me get my questions answered without sitting on hold for hours.

just be careful about the job search requirements too. you still have to look for full time work and keep your job search log updated even if you're doing part time stuff

Wait I thought if you work ANY hours you lose your benefits completely?? I've been turning down shifts because I was afraid of this. Are you saying I could have been working this whole time?

Wait I'm confused - I thought if you work at all you can't get unemployment? This is news to me. I turned down a part-time job last month because I thought I'd lose my benefits completely.

The system is so confusing! I worked one day last week and wasn't sure if I should report it since it was only 6 hours. Then I got paranoid about fraud charges so I called but couldn't get through. This unemployment stuff gives me so much anxiety.

The part-time work reporting can be tricky on the weekly claim form. When you file your weekly claim, there's a specific section asking about any work performed and wages earned during that week. You need to report the gross amount before taxes, not what you actually received. Also make sure the part-time work doesn't interfere with your availability for full-time employment - that's one of the eligibility requirements.

Make sure you understand the job search requirements too. Even if you're working part-time, you still need to be actively looking for full-time work and logging your job contacts. Don't let the part-time job make you slack on your job search obligations or they could disqualify you.

ugh the whole system is so confusing! why can't they just make it simple? I've been afraid to take ANY part time work because I don't want to screw up my benefits. The forms are impossible to understand and every time I call I get a different answer

Been doing part-time work while on unemployment for 3 months now. Works out fine as long as you report everything. Just remember that freelance work still counts as employment even if you're not getting a regular paycheck from an employer.

I'm in a similar situation - got laid off from my marketing job a few weeks ago and a friend offered me some freelance social media work. From what I've learned, you can definitely work part-time and still collect unemployment benefits in NY. The key things are: 1) Report ALL work and earnings when you file your weekly claim, 2) Report gross earnings (before taxes) for the week you actually worked, not when you got paid, 3) You can generally work up to 4 days per week and still be considered unemployed, 4) NYS will reduce your benefits based on what you earn but you won't lose them completely unless you earn more than your benefit amount plus $50. Just make sure to keep looking for full-time work and maintain your job search log - that's still required even with part-time work. The landscaping work sounds perfect since it's weekends only and shouldn't interfere with interviews for full-time positions.