Part-time work under 30 hours - how to correctly certify for NY unemployment benefits?

You should answer 'No' to the question about returning to work. This question is specifically asking if you've returned to work FULL-TIME. Since you're working part-time (under 30 hours), you should select 'No' and then report your part-time earnings and hours worked in the following questions. The system will then calculate your partial benefits based on your reported earnings. Be sure to accurately report your gross wages (before taxes) for the week in which you worked, not when you get paid.

im pretty sure you answer YES if you started working at all, even part time. thats what i did when i got my part time gig last month. the next page lets you enter your hours worked and they adjust your benefit amount

I had EXACTLY this same issue in 2025. The NY unemployment system is deliberately confusing!! The correct answer is NO if you're working part-time. If you say YES, they will TERMINATE your entire claim even though you're still eligible for partial benefits. I learned this the hard way and had to spend WEEKS getting it fixed. The system isn't designed to be user-friendly - it's designed to make you mess up so they don't have to pay you!!!

This is a really important distinction that trips up many claimants. Here's how to properly certify when working part-time in NY: 1. Answer "No" to "Did you return to work?" 2. Answer "Yes" to "Did you work during the week?" 3. Report your gross earnings (before taxes) 4. Report all hours worked accurately NY has a partial benefit calculation where you can work up to 4 days per week and earn up to $629 (as of 2025) while still receiving some benefits. Each day you work, even for just an hour, counts as a "day" in their calculation. Your weekly benefit decreases by 25% for each day worked. This is all documented on the NYSDOL website under "Partial Unemployment Eligibility" but it's definitely not the easiest information to find.

quick q - does anybody know if they count hours or days? like if i work 2 hours on monday and 3 hours on tuesday is that 1 or 2 days?

After spending TWO MONTHS trying to get this exact question answered by calling the NYSDOL with zero success, I finally used Claimyr to get through to an agent (claimyr.com). Their video demo at https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE shows exactly how it works. Got connected to a real person in about 20 minutes who confirmed what others are saying here - for part-time work under 30 hours, answer "No" to returning to work, then accurately report your hours and pay. The agent also helped fix my previous incorrect certifications. Seriously saved me from losing benefits I was entitled to receive.

wut happens if u already answered it wrong? i think ive been doing this wrong for like 3 weeks now

wait now im confused... i've been saying YES to the return to work question but then they ask about my hours and pay anyway. my benefits got reduced but not stopped completely. am i doing something wrong??

I just certified following everyone's advice here - answered NO to returning to work, then YES to working during the week, and reported my hours and earnings. The system accepted it and showed my reduced benefit amount! Thank you all SO much for your help!

Great advice everyone! I'm in a similar situation and was also confused by the wording. Just to add - I found it helpful to keep a weekly log of my work hours and gross pay before I certify each week. That way I don't have to scramble to remember exactly what I earned when I'm filling out the certification. Also, if anyone else is working multiple part-time jobs, make sure to report ALL of your earnings from ALL jobs for that week, not just from one employer. The system calculates your partial benefits based on your total weekly earnings.

This thread is incredibly helpful - I've been dealing with the same confusion! I work part-time at a retail store (about 20 hours/week) and was terrified I'd mess up my certification. The distinction between "returning to work" (full-time) vs "working during the week" (part-time) makes perfect sense now. I've been overthinking this for weeks! Quick follow-up question though - when they ask for gross earnings, do I include tips if I'm a server? Or just my hourly wage? Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, this community is a lifesaver when the official resources are so unclear.

This is such a valuable thread! I've been working part-time (about 25 hours/week) for the past month and was also confused about this exact question. Following everyone's advice, I've been answering "No" to returning to work and then reporting my hours and earnings accurately. One thing I learned the hard way - make sure you report earnings for the week you WORKED, not the week you got paid. I made that mistake my first week and it threw off my benefit calculation. Also, if anyone is wondering about the timing - I usually get my reduced benefit payment 2-3 days after certifying, same as when I was getting full benefits. The system seems to process partial benefits just as quickly as regular claims. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here, especially the detailed breakdown of the 4-day rule and earnings limits!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm actually in the exact same boat - just started a part-time retail job (22 hours/week) and was completely confused about the certification process. The way everyone explained the difference between "returning to work" (full-time) vs "working during the week" (part-time) finally makes it click. I've been stressing about this for two weeks! One additional tip I discovered - if you're unsure about any of your previous certifications, you can actually view your certification history in your NY.gov account under "View Payment History." It shows exactly how you answered each question and what earnings you reported. This helped me double-check that I'd been doing it correctly. Also, for anyone else who might be starting part-time work soon, I found it helpful to call your new employer ahead of time to understand exactly when and how they report your hours - some places are better than others at providing clear paystubs that show your gross earnings before deductions. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences here - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that's impossible to find on the official NYSDOL website!