Can you file for unemployment if you still have a job - NYS Department of Labor rules?

Yes, you can absolutely file for partial unemployment benefits in New York! This is called 'partial unemployment' and it's designed exactly for situations like yours where your hours have been significantly reduced. You need to earn less than the weekly benefit amount you'd qualify for if you were totally unemployed. The NYS Department of Labor will calculate what you're eligible for based on your reduced earnings versus your normal wages.

I did this last year when my restaurant cut everyone's shifts. You have to report exactly how much you earn each week when you file your weekly claim certification. NYS Department of Labor has a formula where they deduct part of your earnings from your benefit amount. You still get something as long as you're earning less than your full weekly benefit rate plus $50. Just be super accurate with reporting your wages or you could get hit with an overpayment later.

wait so you can collect unemployment while working?? that seems wrong somehow, like wouldn't that be fraud or something?

Just went through this myself. The key thing is you have to be available for full-time work and actively searching for a better job that pays more. NYS Department of Labor still requires you to do job searches even when you're working part-time. Also make sure your employer knows you're filing - some places get weird about it but they can't legally retaliate. I had trouble reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor to ask questions about my specific situation, but I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made the whole process way less stressful.

My sister did this when her hours got cut at the retail store. Just make sure you report EVERYTHING accurately - every dollar you earn, every hour you work. The NYS Department of Labor computer system will flag inconsistencies and that can trigger an investigation. Better to be overly detailed than miss something.

I was in almost the exact same situation last fall! My hours dropped from full-time to about 12-15 hours per week at my retail job. Filing for partial unemployment was honestly a lifesaver. The process is pretty straightforward - you apply just like you would for regular unemployment, but then each week when you certify, you report your actual earnings. The system automatically calculates how much benefit you get based on what you earned that week. One thing that surprised me was that I could still get some benefits even when I had a slightly better week with more hours. As long as your weekly earnings are below your maximum benefit amount, you'll get something. Just be patient with the initial application process - it took about 3 weeks for my first payment to come through, but once it was set up, the weekly claims were easy to do online.