Can you file for unemployment if you have two jobs - NYS Department of Labor eligibility question

Yes, you can absolutely file for partial unemployment benefits in New York! The NYS Department of Labor has provisions for people who are working reduced hours or have part-time employment. When you file your weekly claim, you'll need to report ALL earnings from both jobs - the retail work and your freelance income. They'll calculate your benefit amount based on your reduced hours. The key is being honest about all income sources when you file.

been there! i filed when my restaurant cut my shifts from 40 hours to 15. you just have to report whatever you earn each week when you do your weekly claim certification. some weeks you might get more UI benefits, other weeks less depending on what you earned.

The NYS Department of Labor system is actually designed to handle partial unemployment situations like yours. When you file your initial claim, make sure to list both employers in your work history. For the freelance work, you'll need to be extra careful about reporting it correctly each week - even irregular amounts. The system will automatically calculate your partial benefit amount. Just don't try to hide any income because they do cross-reference with tax records.

ugh this whole system is so confusing!! why can't they just make it simple - if you need money because work cut your hours you should get help period. having to calculate and report every little thing is such a pain

If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask questions about your specific situation, I had good luck using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me actually reach a live agent. They have this video demo that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. It was super helpful when I had questions about my partial unemployment claim that I couldn't figure out from the website.

same boat here with multiple jobs! definitely file - worst case they say no but you're probably eligible for something

Just wanted to add that you should definitely keep detailed records of all your income from both jobs when you file. I'd recommend creating a simple spreadsheet or using a notebook to track your retail hours and freelance payments week by week. This will make filling out your weekly certifications much easier and help you avoid any issues if NYS Department of Labor ever needs to verify your reported income. Also, don't let the complexity discourage you - if your hours got cut that significantly, you're likely eligible for at least partial benefits and every bit helps!

I went through this exact situation last year! You're definitely eligible for partial unemployment benefits. The key thing to remember is that NYS Department of Labor looks at your "total weekly earnings" versus your "weekly benefit rate" to determine your partial benefit amount. Since your retail hours dropped from 25 to 8 hours per week, that's a significant reduction that should qualify you. When you file, make sure to report your base period wages from both jobs during the initial application, then report ALL weekly earnings (retail + freelance) on your weekly certifications. The system will automatically calculate what you're owed. Don't stress about the irregular freelance income - just report exactly what you earn each week, even if it's $0 some weeks and $200 others. Better to file and get some help than struggle financially!