Unemployment Benefits When Working Part Time in 50 States

Update March 2020: Instacart has announced that they are hiring 300,000 shoppers and they are offering up to a $2000 bonus for shoppers to complete 100 deliveries.

This post also includes minimum unemployment, partial unemployment, and maximum unemployment benefits in all 50 states.

Dependency allowances can increase your maximum benefit amount (WBA)
Too many hours worked can remove your eligibility for unemployment. It can be as low as 30 hours in some states
Most states don’t allow you to earn over WBA (weekly benefit amount), but some do.
Deductions of your weekly benefit will be deferred in your claim so that you it may be used to extend your unemployment eligibility.
Please check with your local unemployment benefits office before starting to work part time

In most case, you can work on Uber, Lyft, Amazon Flex, DoorDash and Postmates part time while being on unemployment. Click below to sign up and get a signup bonus!

Partial Unemployment Benefits When Working Part Time

Alabama: (Maximum benefits $265 a week): In order to determine what your partial unemployment weekly benefit amount would be, you must file an unemployment claim. If approved, you would report your weekly earnings from Sunday to Saturday each week. You would receive partial unemployment, the difference between your weekly benefit amount and your wages for each week you qualify.

Alaska (Maximum benefits $370 a week) You can earn $50 without reducing your benefit payment, but you must report all the wages. Your partial unemployment benefit payment will be reduced by 75 cents for each dollar you earn over $50. If you have gross wages equal to or more than 1 1/3 times your weekly benefit amount, plus $50, you will not receive a benefit payment for that week.

Arizona: (Maximum Benefits $240 a week): You may earn up to $30.50 in a week without affecting your weekly benefit. If you earn more than $30.50 in a week, you will get deducted each dollar in earnings over $30.50 from your weekly benefit amount. This will be your partial unemployment.

Arkansas: (Maximum benefits $451 a week): You may be eligible for partial unemployment benefits for a week in which you work fewer than 40 hours and earn less than 140% of your Weekly Benefit Amount. Deductions will be made from your Weekly Benefit Amount when your earnings are more than 40%.

California: (Maximum benefits of $450 a week) If the wages allocated to a week claimed are $25.99 or less, such earnings are disregarded and, hence, have no effect on the claimant’s eligibility for partial unemployment benefits. If the wages are between $26 and $99. 99, $25 of the wages are disregarded and the amount remaining is considered to be deductible. If the wages are $100 or more, 25 percent of the wages are disregarded and, therefore, the deductible earnings would be 75 percent of the total wages.

Connecticut: (Maximum benefits of $590 a week) Your payment for partial unemployment benefits will be figured by taking two-thirds of your gross earnings for the week claimed and deducting that amount from your Weekly Benefit Rate.

Colorado: (Maximum benefits $529 a week): Working 32 or more hours in a week is considered full-time employment. If you work 32 or more hours in any given week, partial unemployment benefits cannot be paid for that week. You may earn, in gross wages, up to 25 percent of your WBA in any given week before the earning have any effect on the partial unemployment benefits for that week. Any earnings over that amount, but less than your WBA, are subtracted dollar-for-dollar from that week’s partial unemployment benefits. Once your earnings in a given week equal or exceed your WBA, partial unemployment benefits will not be paid for that week.

DC: (Maximum Benefits $359 a week): The District of Columbia disregards one-fifth of your earnings plus $20 in calculating partial unemployment benefits.

Delaware (Maximum benefits of $330 a week) You are allowed to earn 50% of your weekly partial unemployment benefit amount without any deduction from your weekly benefit payment. Anything over 50% is deducted dollar for dollar. For example: If your weekly partial unemployment benefit amount is $100, you are allowed to earn $50 gross (wages before deductions) within the benefit week with no deduction of your partial unemployment benefit, anything over $50 is deducted dollar for dollar

Florida: (Maximum Benefit of $275 a week) Any income you make will be deducted from your weekly partial unemployment payments.

Georgia: (Maximum benefit of $330 a week) Currently, $50 (gross) in wages are excluded each week. You may earn that amount and still draw full unemployment benefits according to the weekly benefit amount for which you are eligible. This type of benefit is available either when an employer initiates the claim for its employees or when your claim is already approved (when you are unemployed) and then you get some part-time work.

Hawaii: (Maximum benefit of $560 a week) You may still receive partial unemployment benefits for a week if your gross earnings are less than your weekly benefit amount, you did not work full-time hours, and you meet all eligibility requirements and are not disqualified. The amount of partial unemployment benefits payable equals the difference between your weekly benefit amount and your gross earnings, plus $150.

Idaho: (Maximum benefit of $336 a week) You can earn up to one half of your weekly benefit amount and still receive the full weekly benefit amount for that week. If you earn more than one half of your weekly benefit amount, your partial unemployment will include a dollar-for-dollar reduction for every dollar you earn over one half of your weekly benefit amount for that week. If you work full time, or if you earn 1½ times your weekly benefit amount or more in gross earnings in one week, you will not receive a partial unemployment benefit payment for that week. Full time is generally considered 40 hours per week for most occupations. If you earn over 1½ times your weekly benefit amount for two consecutive weeks, you must reopen your unemployment claim during the third week if you wish to claim for that week.

Indiana: (Maximum benefit of $390 a week) You may qualify for partial unemployment benefits if your employer reduces your work hours to less than your regular full-time work week, or if you take a part-time job AND you earn less than your weekly benefit amount (WBA). A dollar-for-dollar deduction will be made from your benefit payment for all wages earned in excess of 20% of your weekly benefit amount.

Illinois: (Maximum benefit of $418 per week.) During any week in which you earn more than 50 percent of your weekly benefit rate, Illinois will reduce your benefits. For example, as of 2010, if your benefit is $300, earning more than $150 will trigger the benefit reduction. Say you earn $200 in part-time wages, meaning you are $50 more than 50 percent of your weekly benefit amount. The state will take that $50 out of your benefits, leaving you with $250 for that week. (More info here) If your earnings exceed your benefit amount, you will not receive unemployment.

Iowa: (Maximum benefit of $459 a week) Weekly earnings that are 25 percent or less than a claimants’ WBA will not decrease the partial unemployment benefit payment for the week. For every dollar earned over 25 percent of a claimants’ WBA, it will be fully subtracted from the claimants partial unemployment benefit payment.

Kansas (Maximum benefit of $420 a week) You can receive benefits, or partial unemployment benefits, if you work less than full time and earn less than your weekly benefit amount. You must report all wages earned that week when you file your weekly claim. You may earn up to 25 percent of your weekly benefit amount (WBA) without a reduction to your unemployment benefits. Any earnings over 25 percent of your WBA will be deducted from your unemployment benefits on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

Kentucky: (Maximum benefit of $415 a week) If you are still working at your regular job but your hours have been cut, Kentucky may allow you to collect partial unemployment. As of 2011, you are eligible for partial unemployment in Kentucky if you work less than full-time and you earn less than 1 1/4 times your weekly benefit rate. Eighty percent of your GROSS wages, BEFORE deductions, that you EARN during the week claimed will be deducted from your weekly amount.

Louisiana: (Maximum benefit of $247 a week): Benefits for partial unemployment are paid to workers who are still in the employ of their regular employer, but who, because of lack of work, are employed less than a full work week and earn less than their weekly benefit amount. It is unclear how wages during unemployment benefits are deducted from weekly benefits.

Maine: (Maximum benefit of $378 a week) Your first $25.00 will not affect your unemployment check. Earning greater than $25.00 will be deducted from your unemployemnt benefits. If you earn more than $5.00 above your weekly benefit amount, you will not be eligible for partial unemployment benefits for that week.

Maryland: (Maximum benefits of $430) You may earn up to $50 per week before any deductions are made from your unemployment benefit payment. If you earn over $50, the amount over $50 will be deducted from your weekly benefit amount.

Massachusetts: (Maximum benefits of $674 a week) Your unemployment benefit check will stay the same as long as your weekly part-time earnings are not more than one third of your weekly benefit. However, if you earn more than this, your unemployment benefits will go down. Any earnings in excess of 1/3 ^rd of the weekly benefit amount are deducted from the unemployment benefit amount until the partial unemployment benefit amount is reduced to $0. Any claimant who works full-time in any given week is considered employed “full time” regardless of earnings and is not eligible for partial unemployment benefits for that week. Full time is generally between 35 and 40 hours per week. You are considered employed full time if you are working the customary full time schedule in your job or occupation.

Michigan: (Maximum benefits of $362 a week)

If your wages are equal to or less than your weekly benefit amount, then your partial unemployment benefits are reduced by 40%
If your wages exceed your weekly benefit amount but are less than 1.6 times your benefit amount, then your total wages are subtracted from 1.6 times your weekly benefit amount
The combination of your weekly unemployment benefits and wages cannot exceed 1.6 times your weekly benefit amount.

Minnesota: (Maximum benefits of $629 a week) A partial unemployment benefit payment will be made for any week you work less than 32 hours and your earnings are less than your weekly benefit amount. The system will deduct 50 percent of your earnings from your unemployment benefit payment.

Mississippi: (Maximum Benefits of $235 a week) We will deduct any earnings over $40.00 from your weekly benefit amount.

Missouri: (Maximum benefits of $320 a week) You can earn up to 20% of your weekly benefits without reduction. Your weekly benefit will be reduced for every dollar above 20%.

Montana (Maximum benefits of $464 a week) Partial unemployment benefits may be paid to claimants who work less than forty hours a week and are working all hours available to them. The partial unemployment benefit amount varies according to their earnings for the week and their wages earned must be less than twice their weekly benefit amount. If you earn more than ¼ of your weekly benefit amount in any week, your WBA will be reduced by $.50 for each dollar earned (over ¼ of your WBA).

Nebraska: (Maximum benefits of $362 a week) Claimants may earn up 25% of their Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA) on their current claim without the earnings being subtracted from their weekly benefits. Any earnings over 25% of the WBA are deducted dollar for dollar from the WBA.

Nevada: (Maximum benefits of $407 a week) If a claimant has before-tax earnings totaling less than his weekly benefit amount during a week he is claiming benefits, 75% of the total of the gross wages or earnings will be deducted from his weekly benefit amount and remain in the account for future use.

New Hampshire: (Maximum benefits of $427 a week) An individual who is seeking only part-time work shall be deemed to be partially unemployed only in any week during which the individual was employed fewer than 20 hours. An individual’s maximum weekly benefit amount shall be reduced by all wages and earnings in excess of 30 percent, rounded to the nearest dollar, of the individual’s weekly benefit amount.

New Jersey: (Maximum benefits of $611.00 a week) The worker’s weekly benefit amount will be reduced dollar-for-dollar for all earnings in excess of 20% of the worker’s full weekly benefit rate.

New Mexico: (Maximum benefits of $397 a week) Your unemployment benefits payments will not change unless your weekly earnings are more than 20% or one-fifth of your weekly benefit. If you earn more than one-fifth of your weekly benefit, your benefit check will be reduced for each dollar you earn over this amount. You will not receive any benefits if you earn wages equal to or in excess of your weekly benefit.

New York: (Maximum benefits of $420 a week) For any hour you work, it counts as being worked a day so your benefits go down 25%. Each day reduces your benefits by 25% for the week, so working four days means you get no unemployment benefits.

North Carolina: (Maximum benefits $350 a week) The weekly benefit amount for an individual who is partially unemployed or part-totally employed is the amount the individual would receive if the individual were totally unemployed, reduced by the amount of any wages the individual receives in the benefit week in excess of twenty percent (20%) of the benefit amount applicable to total unemployment.

North Dakota: (Maximum benefits of $470 a week) You can earn up to 60 percent of your weekly benefit amount without affecting the weekly benefit you receive. Every dollar over 60 percent is deducted dollar for dollar, until you earn your weekly benefit amount. If you earn wages equal to or greater than your weekly benefit amount, no unemployment benefits payments will be issued for the week. You must work all available hours.

Ohio: (Maximum benefits of $418 a week) Ohio law allows that 20% of your weekly benefit amount be exempted from any earnings you may receive before a deduction is made.

Oklahoma: (Maximum benefits of $440 a week) You shall be considered “unemployed” any week that you perform no services and are paid no wages OR any week that you work less than full-time and your earnings are less than your weekly benefit amount plus one-hundred dollars ($100.00). Full-time work is defined as 32 or more hours of work per week. Remember, most “weeks” begin at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday and end at midnight on Saturday. [NOTE: Oklahoma is no longer accepting Partial Claims for Unemployment, so you may not be eligible for benefits if you work part time.]

Oregon: (Maximum benefits of $538 a week) Benefits are reduced by the amount of earnings paid or payable that exceeds the greater of the following amounts:

Ten times the minimum hourly wage established by the laws of this state; or
One-third of your Weekly Benefit Amount.

Pennsylvania: (Maximum benefits of $573 a week) If you earn 40% of your weekly benefit rate or less in your part-time job, you will suffer NO LOSS of unemployment compensation benefits. Even if you earn more than 40% of your weekly benefit rate in a part-time job, you can still get unemployment, until your part-time earnings, when added to your weekly benefit rate exceed your weekly benefit rate plus 40% of your weekly benefit rate.

– See more at: http://employmentlaw101.blogspot.com/2012/07/can-i-get-unemployment-in-pennsylvania.html#sthash.R3ol14hP.dpuf

Rhode Island (Maximum benefits of $566 a week) If you are working part time you are entitled to collect partial unemployment benefits as long as your gross earnings are less than your benefit rate. You will be asked to report any wages when you certify for your weekly payment. If you are working less than full-time hours and your gross wages (before taxes) are less than your weekly benefit rate (excluding dependency allowances), you may be entitled to partial unemployment benefits. Example; Weekly benefit rate is $200. You earned $100. The “difference” between the two is $100. The Department will pay you the “difference” plus 20% of your Benefit Rate (BR). Difference = $100.+ 20% of BR payment is $140.”

South Carolina (Maximum Benefits of $326 a week) You can still work and collect unemployment at the same time. Your weekly earnings must be less than your weekly benefit amount. To calculate your partial unemployment benefits payments, the DEW will deduct 25 percent of your eligible weekly benefit amount from your earnings from the part time job. Then the rest of the earnings will be deducted from your eligible weekly benefit amount and that determines your partial unemployment benefits payment.

South Dakota (Maximum benefits of $345 a week) You will not be eligible for partial unemployment benefits if your gross earnings are equal to or more than your weekly benefit amount. You will not be eligible for partial unemployment benefits if you worked 40 hours or more regardless of the amount of earnings. Earnings will reduce your umeployment benefits. Seventy-five percent of earnings over $25 will be deducted from your weekly benefit amount.

Tennessee: (Maximum benefits of $275 a week) You may earn the greater of $50 or 25 percent of your weekly benefit amount without reducing your weekly benefits. If you do go over your weekly benefit amount, it will suspend your claim and you will need to re-open your claim in order to receive unemployment benefits in the future. And what you will do is report this on your weekly certification.

Texas: (Maximum benefits of $465 a week) If you work part time, you can earn up to 25 percent of your weekly benefit amount (WBA) before TWC reduces your benefit payment. Your partial unemployment benefits will reduce for any amount over 25%.

Utah: (Maximum benefits of $479 a week) You can earn up to 30% of your weekly benefit amount and still receive the full weekly benefit amount. If you earn over 30% of your weekly benefit amount then a dollar for dollar deduction will be taken. However, if you earn an amount equal to or more than your weekly benefit amount, or work 40 hours or more, you will not be eligible for payment that week.

Vermont (Maximum benefits of $425 a week) Each eligible part time unemployed individual in any week shall be paid with respect to such week a partial unemployment benefit. Such partial unemployment benefit shall be an amount equal to the difference between his or her weekly benefit amount and his or her wages.

Virginia: (Maximum benefits of $378 a week) If you work and your gross income for the week is less than your weekly benefit amount, that gross amount less $50 will be deducted from your weekly benefit amount. If your gross earnings equal or exceed your weekly benefit amount, you will not receive partial unemployment benefits for that week.

Washington: (Maximum benefits of $637 a week) If you work part-time, we reduce your partial unemployment benefits using the earnings deduction chart (gross earnings minus $5 times 75 percent).

West Virginia: (Maximum benefits of $424 a week) You may work part time and still draw partial unemployment benefits as long as your earnings do not exceed your weekly benefit amount plus $60.00. Any earnings over $60.00 in any week will be deducted from your weekly benefit amount dollar for dollar. All earnings in any week for which you file for benefits much be reported regardless of the amount.

Wisconsin: (Maximum benefits of $370 a week) You can earn $30 without reduction in unemployment benefits. Every dollar you earn over $30, 67 cents will be reduced from your weekly benefits. However, you will not receive partial unemployment benefits if you work a total of 32 or more hours for all employers in a week you are claiming or if your total gross pay is more than $500.00.

The highest gross income you can earn in a week and still qualify for the minimum unemployment payment is called the “maximum weekly earnings” amount. This amount is not the same for every claimant. The weekly benefit rate (WBR) determines what the maximum weekly earnings amount will be. You can calculate your maximum weekly earnings amount by using the following formula:

Subtract $5.00 from your WBR.
Divide the remainder by .67 (67%).
Add $30.00.

Wyoming (Maximum benefits of $471 a week) Your weekly benefit amount will be reduced when your earnings exceed half of your weekly benefit amount. You will not be paid partial unemployment benefits for that week if your earnings equal or exceed your weekly benefit amount or if you work 35 or more hours that week. If you earn more than 50 percent, your partial unemployment benefits must be reduced by one dollar for each dollar you earn.