How many hours can I work while on unemployment benefits in New York?

You can work part-time while on unemployment in NY, but you need to report ALL work and earnings on your weekly claim. Generally, if you work less than 4 days and earn less than your weekly benefit rate, you'll get a reduced payment. The NYS Department of Labor uses a formula where they subtract 25% of your earnings from your weekly benefit amount. So if you normally get $400/week and earn $200, you'd get $350 that week ($400 - 25% of $200 = $350).

yeah i work like 12 hours a week at a grocery store and still get most of my unemployment. just make sure you answer the work questions honestly on your weekly claim or they'll catch you eventually

The key thing is the 4-day rule. If you work 4 or more days in a week, you're considered employed for that week and get no unemployment benefits, regardless of hours. But working 30 hours over 3 days? You'd still be eligible for reduced benefits. Also remember you still need to do your job search activities - the part-time work doesn't exempt you from that requirement.

I had a terrible experience with this last year. Worked 2 days a week at a temp job and the NYS Department of Labor kept flagging my claims for 'review.' Took forever to get my payments and they made me verify everything like 3 times. The system is so broken - they act like you're trying to scam them just for working part-time like they literally tell you to do!

I was struggling with getting through to NYS Department of Labor to clarify this exact question a few months ago. Their phone lines are impossible and the online chat never worked for me. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real agent who explained the whole part-time work thing clearly. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Worth it when you need actual answers instead of guessing.

Wait I'm confused - is it 4 days OR is it about total hours? What if I work like 35 hours but only 3 days? And what about if the part-time job pays really well - like what if I make more in 2 days than my weekly benefit amount??

just take the job and report it honestly, thats what the system is designed for. people make it way more complicated than it needs to be

I went through this exact situation last year! The 4-day rule is what matters most - as long as you work 3 days or fewer, you can still get reduced benefits. For 15-20 hours spread over 2-3 days, you should be fine. Just make sure to report every penny you earn on your weekly certification. The system will automatically calculate your reduced benefit amount. One tip: keep detailed records of your hours and pay in case they ever ask for verification. The part-time work actually helped me transition back to full-time employment, so don't let fear stop you from taking opportunities!

I'm in a similar situation and this thread is super helpful! One thing I wanted to add - make sure you understand how they define a "day worked." Even if you only work a few hours, if you work any part of a day, that counts as a full day for the 4-day rule. So working 2 hours on Monday and 6 hours on Tuesday would count as 2 days worked, not just 8 total hours. Also, don't forget that you'll still need to keep doing your weekly job search requirements even with the part-time work. The good news is that having some income coming in while you look for full-time work can really take some of the financial pressure off!

Just want to echo what others have said about keeping detailed records! I've been working part-time (about 18 hours over 3 days) while collecting UI for the past two months and it's been working great. The weekly certification is pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it - just answer honestly about days worked and total earnings. One thing that helped me was setting up a simple spreadsheet to track my hours and pay each week before I do my certification. Also, don't stress too much about the "fraud" concern - as long as you're reporting everything accurately, you're doing exactly what the system is designed for. The part-time work has actually been a confidence booster while I'm job hunting for full-time positions. Good luck with the new opportunity!