Will unemployment know if I work another job while collecting NYS benefits?

YES you absolutely must report any work immediately when you file your weekly claim. NYS Department of Labor gets wage reports from employers quarterly and they will find out eventually. You need to report the exact hours worked and gross earnings for each week. The good news is you can still collect partial benefits if you work part-time - they'll just reduce your weekly benefit amount based on what you earn.

I learned this the hard way - they WILL find out and if you don't report it upfront, they'll hit you with an overpayment notice later. I had to pay back like $2,800 because I didn't report some freelance work I did. Just be honest on your weekly claims and report everything. The system is designed to let you work part-time while collecting, just follow the rules.

I've been working part-time while on UI for 3 months now. You report the work on your weekly certification and they calculate your partial payment automatically. As long as you're under like 4 days of work per week and your earnings don't exceed your weekly benefit rate plus $50, you'll still get something. Just be completely honest about hours and wages.

The reporting system on the NYS Department of Labor website is pretty straightforward. When you do your weekly claim, there's a section asking about any work performed and wages earned. Just answer truthfully. They want you to work part-time - it shows you're actively seeking full-time employment. Don't overthink it, just follow the prompts.

If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask questions about this, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Really helped when I had questions about reporting part-time work and couldn't get through on the phone lines.

just report it when you file weekly, they'll figure out the math for you. i've been doing gig work and reporting everything, still getting partial payments. better safe than sorry with these people

I'm in a similar situation and was really nervous about this too! From what I've researched, NYS actually encourages part-time work while collecting unemployment - they call it "partial unemployment benefits." The key is being completely transparent on your weekly certification. When you file, there will be questions about any work performed that week and gross earnings. Report everything exactly as it happened. The system will automatically calculate your reduced benefit amount. From what I understand, they use a formula where they subtract a portion of your earnings from your weekly benefit rate, but you can still receive something as long as your total earnings aren't too high. Don't let fear stop you from taking the job - just follow the reporting requirements and you'll be fine!