Can you work while on unemployment benefits with NYS Department of Labor?
I'm getting conflicting information about working part-time while collecting unemployment from NYS Department of Labor. My cousin says you can't work at all or they'll cut off your benefits, but someone at my old job said you can work a little bit as long as you report it. I found a weekend gig that would give me maybe 15-20 hours a week but I'm scared to take it if it's going to mess up my unemployment claim. Does anyone know the actual rules? I really need the extra money but can't afford to lose my weekly benefits.
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Zainab Ali
You absolutely CAN work while collecting unemployment in New York. The key is reporting ALL earnings when you file your weekly claim. NYS Department of Labor allows you to earn up to a certain amount before they start reducing your benefits. For 2025, you can earn up to $143 per week without any reduction to your unemployment payment. Anything over that gets deducted dollar-for-dollar from your weekly benefit amount.
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Miguel Herrera
•Oh wow, I had no idea there was a threshold! So if my weekly benefit is $300 and I make $100 from the weekend job, I'd still get my full $300?
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Zainab Ali
•Exactly! As long as you stay under $143 per week in earnings, your unemployment benefit won't be reduced at all. Just make sure you report those earnings honestly when filing your weekly claim.
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Connor Murphy
Your cousin is totally wrong lol. I worked part time for months while on unemployment and never had any issues. The important thing is being honest about your hours and earnings when you file each week. NYS Department of Labor even encourages part time work because it helps you transition back to full employment.
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Yara Nassar
I've been doing exactly this since October. Working about 12 hours a week at a retail job while collecting UI. Haven't had any problems as long as I report everything correctly. The NYS Department of Labor website has a calculator that shows how much you can earn without affecting your benefits - definitely check that out before you start the job.
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Miguel Herrera
•That's reassuring to hear! Do you know where on their website the calculator is? I've been looking but their site is kind of confusing to navigate.
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StarGazer101
WAIT be super careful about this!! I worked one day last month and forgot to report it and now my claim is under investigation for fraud. They're saying I might have to pay everything back. The system is really strict about reporting so don't take any chances. Make sure you understand exactly what you need to report and when.
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Keisha Jackson
•That sounds scary but it's probably just a routine investigation. As long as you can prove it was an honest mistake and not intentional fraud, you should be fine. Did you try calling NYS Department of Labor to explain what happened?
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StarGazer101
•I've been trying to call for weeks but can never get through. The phone system just hangs up on me after being on hold forever.
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Keisha Jackson
•Have you heard of Claimyr? I used it last month when I couldn't get through to NYS Department of Labor myself. It's a service that gets you connected to an actual agent - worked for me on the first try. Check out claimyr.com, they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Might be worth trying for your situation.
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Paolo Romano
The whole system is such BS honestly. They make it so complicated and scary that people are afraid to work even part time. Like why can't they just have simple rules that everyone understands?? I've been too worried to take ANY work because I don't want to accidentally mess something up.
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Amina Diop
•I totally get the frustration but the rules really aren't that complicated once you understand them. The main thing is just being honest about your earnings and hours worked. NYS Department of Labor wants people to work part time - it's better for everyone.
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Amina Diop
Just to add some specifics - you also need to make sure you're still available for full-time work and actively job searching. The part-time work can't interfere with your availability for interviews or full-time positions. And you still need to do your required job search activities each week.
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