Should I report paid training under 30 hours as 'returned to work' on NY unemployment certification?

You should definitely answer 'yes' that you returned to work. Any paid work counts as returning to work for NY unemployment certification purposes, even if it's part-time or just training. When you certify, you'll then report the hours you worked and the amount you earned before taxes. Your benefits will be reduced based on your part-time earnings, but you may still qualify for a partial payment. Just make sure to report the exact hours and earnings accurately each week.

yes you have to report it!! my friend didn't report her part time job and they made her pay back like $4000 later. not worth the risk!!

The correct approach is to answer 'yes' to returning to work, then accurately report your hours and earnings. NY unemployment has a specific formula for partial benefits: you can earn up to 25% of your weekly benefit rate without reduction, then benefits are reduced by $1 for each dollar earned above that threshold. So if your weekly benefit rate is $400, you could earn up to $100 without reduction, then any amount over $100 reduces your benefit dollar-for-dollar. Make sure to report gross wages (before taxes) for the days you actually worked, even if you haven't been paid yet. Report based on the week (Sunday-Saturday) when you performed the work, not when you get paid.

I've been in this exact situation last year and it's SO confusing!! I started training for a retail job at 20 hours/week and panicked about how to report it. I ended up calling the unemployment office but was on hold FOREVER and never got through. I just answered 'yes' to working and reported my hours, and my benefit was reduced but not eliminated completely. Just be super honest about everything - the system actually explains it pretty well once you select 'yes'.

i think you only have to report it if you make over a certain amount each week but im not sure what that amount is anymore

Just wanted to add - make sure you keep track of your hours EXACTLY each day. My cousin got in trouble because she was estimating her hours when reporting and they did an audit with her employer and the numbers didn't match up. Even though she was only off by like 2-3 hours total.

One other important thing to keep in mind: if your training schedule varies week to week, you'll need to report the specific hours and earnings for each week separately. And if your training ever goes over 30 hours in a week, you would likely not be eligible for any benefits that week, but could still claim in future weeks if your hours drop back down. The key is consistency and accuracy in reporting.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CONFUSE US!!! They make these questions deliberately vague so people make mistakes and then they can charge them with fraud later. I had a similar situation in 2024 and ended up having to appeal because they said I didn't report properly. The appeal took 3 months and I had to go without benefits the whole time!

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I'm going to report 'yes' to returning to work and make sure I accurately record my hours and earnings each week. I'll keep careful track of my exact hours worked to avoid any issues. It's a relief to know I can still receive partial benefits while in training.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact same situation! I was doing paid training for a customer service role at about 20 hours per week and was so worried about answering wrong. I ended up reporting "yes" to returning to work and carefully tracked every single hour. My benefits were reduced but I still got partial payments which really helped during the training period. The key thing I learned is that NY unemployment actually wants you to take work opportunities like training - they're not trying to penalize you for it. Just be completely honest and detailed with your reporting and you'll be fine. Good luck with your new job!

I'm new to this community but dealing with a similar situation right now! I just started a part-time training program (22 hours/week) and was really stressed about how to report it. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially learning about the 25% threshold and the dollar-for-dollar reduction formula. I had no idea you could still get partial benefits during training. I was almost tempted to not report it because I was scared of losing all my benefits, but now I understand that would be fraud and could lead to much bigger problems. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge here!

I went through this exact scenario about 6 months ago when I started a part-time training program for a medical assistant role. I was working about 28 hours per week during training and was terrified I'd lose all my benefits. What I learned is that NY unemployment actually has pretty clear guidelines once you dig into them - you MUST report any work, but the partial benefit system is actually designed to help people transition back to full employment. One tip that really helped me: I created a simple spreadsheet to track my daily hours and earnings. Every day I'd write down start time, end time, break time, and gross pay. When it came time to certify each week, I had everything organized and accurate. This saved me so much stress and made sure I never had discrepancies if they ever audited my records. The transition period can feel overwhelming but you're doing the right thing by asking questions and being thorough. The training will lead to full-time work and then you won't need benefits anymore - just think of this as a bridge to get there safely and legally!