NYS Department of Labor earnings limit while collecting unemployment - how much money can you make?
I'm getting conflicting info about the earnings rules for NYS Department of Labor unemployment. My friend says you can make up to $504 per week and still get partial benefits but someone else told me it's different now. I picked up some part time work and made $320 last week - will this affect my weekly claim? I don't want to mess up my benefits but I need the extra income. Can anyone clarify the current earnings limits for 2025?
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
The current NYS Department of Labor rule is you can earn up to 25% of your weekly benefit rate without any reduction. Anything above that and they start deducting from your UI payment. So if your weekly benefit is $400, you can make $100 with no impact. If you make $320 like you mentioned, they'll subtract the excess ($220 in this example) from your weekly benefit amount.
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Giovanni Colombo
•Wait so if my weekly benefit is $350 and I made $320, they'd subtract $232.50 from my benefits? That seems like a lot.
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StarStrider
ugh this is so confusing!! i thought you could make like $500 and still get something. my cousin in upstate said she makes $400 a week at her part time job and still gets unemployment money
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Dylan Campbell
•Your cousin might be thinking of the old federal rules or mixing up different benefit programs. The NYS Department of Labor has specific calculations - it's not just a flat $500 limit.
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Sofia Torres
I had this exact issue last month when I couldn't get through to NYS Department of Labor to clarify my earnings situation. After waiting on hold for hours multiple times, I used Claimyr.com to get connected directly to an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. The agent explained my specific earnings calculation and helped me understand how to report correctly going forward.
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Dmitry Sokolov
•How much did that cost? I've been trying to reach someone about my earnings question for weeks.
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Sofia Torres
•It was worth it to get accurate info directly from NYS Department of Labor rather than guessing. Way less stressful than the endless phone tag.
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Ava Martinez
The system is SO backwards. You try to work part time to supplement your unemployment and they punish you for it. Meanwhile people who don't work at all get their full benefits. Makes no sense.
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Miguel Ramos
•I get the frustration but the partial benefit system actually encourages people to take part time work. You still come out ahead financially compared to not working at all.
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Dylan Campbell
Make sure you're reporting ALL earnings when you file your weekly claim, even if it's cash work or just a few hours. NYS Department of Labor cross-references with employers and not reporting can trigger an overpayment investigation. The formula is: Weekly Benefit Rate minus (Earnings minus 25% of Weekly Benefit Rate) = Your payment amount.
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Giovanni Colombo
•So with my $350 weekly benefit and $320 earnings: $350 - ($320 - $87.50) = $117.50 I'd still get? That's better than I thought!
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Dylan Campbell
•Exactly! As long as you report everything honestly, partial benefits can really help bridge the gap.
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Maxwell St. Laurent
Just want to add that the earnings calculation can get tricky if you have variable hours each week. I learned the hard way that you need to report earnings for the week you actually worked, not when you got paid. So if you worked Monday-Friday but got paid the following Tuesday, those earnings count for the week you worked. Also, if your part-time earnings consistently put you over the benefit amount, NYS Department of Labor might eventually close your claim assuming you're no longer unemployed. Keep track of your hours and earnings carefully!
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