Part-time work under 30 hours - how to correctly certify for NY unemployment benefits?
I started working part-time (less than 30 hours a week) but I'm still claiming NY unemployment for the reduced hours. When I certify weekly, I'm confused about the question that asks if I've 'returned to work.' Do I check 'Yes' since I AM working now, even though it's part-time? Or do I check 'No' since I'm still eligible for partial benefits? The wording is so confusing and I don't want to mess up my claim. I've tried looking through the NYSDOL website but can't find a clear answer for part-time work specifically. I know this has probably been asked before but I searched everywhere and couldn't find a definitive answer.
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Sofia Hernandez
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.
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Dylan Campbell
•Thank you so much! I was so worried about answering incorrectly. So even though I AM working, I select 'No' because it's not full-time. That makes sense now that you explain it. I'll make sure to report my gross wages accurately every week.
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
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
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Sofia Hernandez
•Actually, that's not correct. The question about "returning to work" specifically refers to full-time work. If you answer "Yes" to that question, the system assumes you're fully employed and no longer eligible for any benefits. For part-time work, you should answer "No" to that specific question, and then report your hours and earnings in the subsequent questions. This is a common misunderstanding that causes people to accidentally end their claims prematurely.
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Ava Thompson
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!!!
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Miguel Ramos
•omg same thing happened to my cousin! he accidentally said yes when he got his weekend job and his benefits completely stopped. took him forever to get it sorted
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Zainab Ibrahim
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.
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Dylan Campbell
•This is SO helpful - thank you for breaking it down step by step! The 4-day rule and the $629 limit is really good to know. I was having the hardest time finding this information on the NYSDOL site.
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Miguel Ramos
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?
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Zainab Ibrahim
•In NY's system, they count DAYS, not hours. So if you work 2 hours on Monday and 3 hours on Tuesday, that counts as 2 days of work regardless of how few hours you worked each day. Even working 1 hour on a day counts as a full "day" for their calculation. This is why many part-time workers try to consolidate their hours into fewer days when possible.
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StarSailor
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.
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Dylan Campbell
•I've never heard of Claimyr before but I'll check it out if I have more questions! The phone system is completely impossible to get through - I tried calling 8 times before giving up and posting here. Thanks for the tip!
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Connor O'Brien
wut happens if u already answered it wrong? i think ive been doing this wrong for like 3 weeks now
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Sofia Hernandez
•If you've been answering incorrectly, you should contact NYSDOL right away to request a correction. They can adjust previous certifications if you explain the misunderstanding. Make sure you have records of your work hours and earnings for the weeks you need to correct. You may need to file for a determination review or backdate request. Don't wait too long to fix this as there are time limits for corrections.
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
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??
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Zainab Ibrahim
•That's interesting - the system might have changed recently or interpreted your response differently. To be safe, I'd recommend following the official guidance going forward by answering "No" to the return to work question (since you're not working full-time) and then accurately reporting your hours and earnings. If the system is allowing you to continue certifying and receiving partial benefits, your claim is probably still active, but you might want to verify with NYSDOL that everything is being processed correctly.
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Dylan Campbell
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!
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Ava Thompson
•Glad it worked out! Just keep doing it exactly the same way every week. And DOCUMENT EVERYTHING - take screenshots of your certifications each time because the system sometimes has "glitches" that mysteriously reduce people's benefits. Don't trust them!
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