Can I claim PA UC benefits for losing my part-time job while keeping my full-time position?

u probably wont qualify. unemployment is for when u lose ur main source of income. since u still have full time work ur probably making too much to get anything.

This is actually a more nuanced situation than most people realize. In Pennsylvania, you can potentially qualify for partial UC benefits even while employed full-time if your overall income has decreased significantly. The key factor is whether your current gross wages are less than your weekly benefit rate plus the partial benefit credit (40% of your weekly benefit rate). You would need to report all earnings from your remaining job when filing weekly claims. The system will automatically calculate if you're eligible for any partial payment. It's worth applying - worst case they just deny your claim.

I went through exactly this in January!!! Lost my evening bartending gig but kept my day job. I DID apply for benefits and got approved but the amount was super tiny like $67/week because of my full-time earnings being deducted. Honestly wasn't worth the hassle of weekly filing for me because I found another part-time job pretty quick. BUT they did make me verify I was looking for replacement part-time work. You can't just collect and not do job searches, even for partial benefits.

Nope, my full-time employer didn't contest anything since it wasn't affecting their UC tax rate - it was charged to my part-time employer who went out of business. The system actually handles this automatically when you enter both employers during the initial application.

THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CONFUSE US ALL!!! I lost a part-time job last year and the UC office told me I didn't qualify, then I found out later I WOULD HAVE qualified for at least something!! The whole thing is intentionally complicated to discourage people from getting benefits they deserve. They have different rules for full vs partial unemployment and the reps don't even know their own policies half the time!!!

When I was in this position last year, I spent 3 WEEKS trying to get through to someone at PA UC to ask this exact question. Busy signals, disconnects, the whole frustrating process. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a rep in under an hour. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 The rep confirmed I could file for partial benefits from losing my second job. The key was listing BOTH employers during the initial application and making it clear which job I lost. Just be prepared to document your job search efforts for a replacement part-time position.

One important thing to note - when you apply, you'll need to report your full-time wages each week. For 2025, PA has a partial benefit credit of 40% of your weekly benefit rate. So if your calculated weekly benefit rate would be $300 (based on your part-time job wages), you can earn up to $120 (40% of $300) without reduction in benefits. After that, benefits are reduced dollar-for-dollar. So if your full-time job pays $800/week, your calculation would be: $300 (benefit rate) - ($800 - $120) = $300 - $680 = -$380 Since this is negative, you wouldn't receive benefits. But if your full-time job pays less, you might qualify for something. It's all about the math.

my cousin works for the unemployment office and she says they get this question ALL THE TIME. she told me its always worth applying because worst case they just say no but sometimes people are surprised they actually qualify for something. depends on how much your fulltime job pays vs what you were making at both combined

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I think I'll go ahead and apply just to see if I qualify for anything. Seems like the worst they can say is no, and I might get a small benefit that could help with gas money at least. Will make sure to list both employers and be clear about which job I'm losing. Really appreciate all the advice!