Can part time workers collect unemployment benefits from NYS Department of Labor?

Yes, part-time workers can absolutely collect unemployment benefits in New York! The key isn't whether you worked full-time or part-time - it's about meeting the base period earnings requirements. You need to have earned at least $2,600 in your highest earning quarter during your base period, and your total base period wages need to be at least 1.5 times your highest quarter earnings. Your 8 months of work should definitely count toward this.

Yes, part-time workers can definitely collect unemployment benefits in New York! You don't need to have worked full-time to qualify. What matters is that you earned enough wages during your base period and that your hours were reduced through no fault of your own. Since your store cut your hours due to business reasons, that should qualify you. You'll need to file your initial claim on the NYS Department of Labor website and report your reduced earnings when you file your weekly claims.

I was in the exact same situation last year - part time at Target, got my hours cut to zero. Filed my claim online and got approved within 2 weeks. Don't let anyone tell you part-timers can't get benefits. The NYS Department of Labor website has a calculator tool that helps you figure out if you meet the wage requirements.

Your base period is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. So if you file now in 2025, they'd look at your wages from early 2024 through late 2024. Since you've been working 8 months, you should have enough quarters of work history. The key thing is reporting your part-time earnings correctly on your weekly claims - you can work part-time and still collect partial unemployment benefits as long as you report everything honestly to NYS Department of Labor.

ugh the whole system is so confusing though!! like why don't they just make it simple - if you lose your job you get benefits period. i've been trying to figure out my base period for weeks and the my.ny.gov website keeps timing out

Just be prepared for the paperwork and verification process - NYS Department of Labor will want documentation of your work history and wage records. Keep all your pay stubs from the past year if you have them. Also make sure you're actively looking for additional work or increased hours, because you still need to meet the job search requirements even if you're working part-time.

Just to clarify for everyone - your base period is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. So if you file in January 2025, your base period would be January 2024 through December 2024. The NYS Department of Labor uses this to calculate your weekly benefit rate and total benefit amount.

I had such a hard time getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I needed to ask questions about my part-time situation. The phone lines are always busy and the callback system never worked for me. If you run into issues getting answers, I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual NYS Department of Labor agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. It was way easier than trying to call myself and getting hung up on constantly.

My cousin worked part time at a restaurant and got unemployment when they closed down during renovations. She said her weekly benefit was obviously lower than someone who worked full time but it still helped pay her bills while she looked for another job.

The system is so confusing!! I'm in a similar situation where my hours got reduced but I wasn't sure if part-time people could even apply. Does anyone know if there's a minimum number of hours you need to have been working before the reduction? Like what if someone was only working 15 hours a week before and now they're down to 5?

yeah you can definitely collect, just make sure you report your part time wages correctly on the weekly claims or you'll get in trouble later

I'm in a similar situation - just got my hours cut from 30 to 10 hours a week at my retail job. Reading through all these responses is really helpful! Quick question though - when you file your weekly claims, do you report the wages you actually earned that week, or do you need to report something else? I want to make sure I don't mess anything up with the reporting requirements.

As someone who just went through this process myself, I can confirm that part-time workers absolutely can collect unemployment benefits in New York! I was working about 20 hours a week at a clothing store and got approved without any issues. The main thing is making sure you meet the wage requirements during your base period - it's not about how many hours you worked per week, but your total earnings. I'd recommend gathering all your pay stubs from the past year before you apply, and don't be discouraged if the initial application seems overwhelming. The NYS Department of Labor staff were actually pretty helpful once I got through to them. Good luck with your claim!

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago when my hours got cut from 28 to 12 hours a week at a grocery store. You absolutely can collect unemployment benefits as a part-time worker in New York! The biggest thing that helped me was understanding that it's based on your total earnings during the base period, not whether you were full-time or part-time. I'd recommend filing your claim as soon as possible since there can be a waiting period. Also, keep detailed records of your reduced hours and any communication from your employer about the cut - NYS Department of Labor may ask for documentation. The weekly benefit amount will obviously be lower than what a full-time worker would get, but every bit helps when you're dealing with reduced income. Don't let anyone discourage you from applying just because you weren't working full-time!

I can definitely confirm what everyone else is saying - part-time workers absolutely can collect unemployment benefits in New York! I was in a very similar situation last fall when my retail job cut my hours from 22 to 8 hours per week. The whole full-time vs part-time thing is a common misconception - what actually matters is meeting the base period wage requirements. Since you've been working 25 hours a week for 8 months, you should definitely have enough wage history to qualify. The NYS Department of Labor will look at your total earnings over the base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters) to determine your eligibility and benefit amount. Make sure to apply online through my.ny.gov as soon as you can, and when you file your weekly claims, just report any part-time wages you earn honestly. The system is designed to help people in exactly your situation - reduced hours through no fault of your own. Don't let your manager's comment discourage you from applying!