Will taking a part-time job at lower pay disqualify me from ESD benefits?

Yes, you CAN still receive partial benefits if you work part-time! This is called partial unemployment. You just need to report your hours and earnings accurately each week. ESD will deduct part of your earnings from your weekly benefit amount. There's a formula they use - you can earn up to 1/3 of your weekly benefit without any reduction, then they reduce dollar-for-dollar after that. Taking a part-time job while continuing to search for full-time work actually looks good on your claim - shows you're trying to find work. Just make sure you continue doing your 3 job search activities each week and reporting them correctly.

i was in EXACT same situation last yr!!!! took a part time retail job that paid wayyy less than my regular work. ESD still gave me some $$ but it was like way less than before. u gotta report all ur hours n they do some math or whatever lol. but yeah u can still get some benefits just not as much probly. the annoying part is u still gotta do all the job search stuff even tho ur working the pt job already 🙄

You need to be very careful with this situation. While partial unemployment exists, if you earn too much in a week, you won't receive any benefits for that week. The formula is: you can earn up to 1/3 of your weekly benefit amount with no reduction. After that, they reduce your benefit dollar-for-dollar. Let's do the math: If your weekly benefit is $494, you can earn about $164 without reduction. Working 18 hours at $22.75 = $409.50 gross earnings. That's $245.50 over the threshold, meaning your benefit would be reduced by $245.50, leaving you with roughly $248.50 in benefits plus your work earnings. You'll need to determine if that combination works financially for you. And yes, you MUST continue performing 3 job search activities each week even while working part-time. The part-time work doesn't count as one of your activities.

Have you tried calling ESD directly to ask? I spent 3 WEEKS trying to get through to someone about a similar situation and kept getting disconnected or stuck on hold forever. So frustrating dealing with them when you need actual answers about your specific situation! The website info is so vague sometimes.

As a few others have mentioned, you can indeed receive partial unemployment benefits while working part-time. Here's the accurate formula ESD uses: 1. You can earn up to 1/3 of your weekly benefit amount with no reduction 2. For earnings above that threshold, your benefit is reduced by 75 cents for each dollar earned 3. You must continue performing 3 job search activities weekly 4. Working part-time doesn't count as a job search activity In my experience helping clients navigate this situation, taking the part-time work is usually beneficial because: - It shows ESD you're making efforts to become employed - It provides some stability and recent work history for future applications - You often end up with more total income (partial benefits + wages) than just on unemployment alone - You can still qualify for benefits in weeks where you might get fewer hours Just be extremely accurate with your hours reporting each week. Even unintentional errors can result in overpayment notices later.

dont even bother with part time work its a TRAP!! i tried this and ended up owing ESD back money because they said i reported hours wrong or something. now im in collections for $1,900!!! the whole system is designed to screw us over. better to just stay on full benefits until you find something that pays what you were making before imho

Make sure you track EVERYTHING if you take this job. I got hit with an overpayment because I estimated my hours one week when I couldn't find my timesheet. Keep a separate calendar just for your work hours and take screenshots of any communication about your schedule. ESD will eventually audit you and you'll need proof.

One additional consideration: if you decline this job offer, ESD might consider it refusing suitable work, which could jeopardize your current benefits entirely. When determining if work is "suitable," they look at factors like: - How the wages compare to the prevailing wage in your area for that type of work - Your physical fitness for the job - Risk to your health and safety - Your prior training and experience - The distance from your home They generally don't consider whether the pay is lower than your previous job if the offered wage is standard for that position in your area. So while this job pays less than your previous position, refusing it could potentially disqualify you from receiving any benefits at all. This makes the partial benefits route potentially more attractive than turning down the position.