Can I Get Unemployment In Pennsylvania If I am Working a Part-Time Job?

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If While On Unemployment You Get a Part-Time Job Paying You W-2 Wages, You May Still Be Entitled to Partial Unedmployment Benefits

In order to understand all of the numbers, we have tried to break it down for you, as follows.Start By Understanding Weekly Benefit RateBelow are weekly benefit rates forcommon salaries/yearly earnings:$57,000 per year: $573

$50,000 per year: $502

$45,000 per year: $452

$40,000 per year: $402

$35,000 per year: $352

$30,000 per year: $302

$25,000 per year: $252

$20,000 per year: $202

$15,000 per year: $152

Then Figure Out Maximum Amount of Part-Time Benefits You Can EarnIf you are getting unemployment inPennsylvania, you can work at another job on a part-time basis (provided youare paid W-2 wages and not as an independent contractor) and still getunemployment. 

The first thing you should know is that, ifyou earn 40% of your weekly benefit rate or less in your part-time job, youwill suffer NO LOSS of unemployment compensation benefits.  Below you will see the maximum part-time earnings for various weekly benefit rates:

$57,000 per year: $573/230$50,000 per year: $502/201

$45,000 per year: $452/181

$40,000 per year: $402/141

$35,000 per year: $352/121

$30,000 per year: $302/101

$25,000 per year: $252/81

$20,000 per year: $202/61

$15,000 per year: $152/41

Even if you earn more than 40% of your weeklybenefit rate in a part-time job, you can still get unemployment, at least up toa certain point.  That certain point iswhen your part-time earnings, when added to your weekly benefit rate exceedyour weekly benefit rate plus 40% of yourweekly benefit rate. 

Thebelow chart shows the maximum amount of part-time earnings you can earn whilestill being entitled to any partial unemployment compensation benefits inPennsylvania (t make things clear, the below figures are weekly benefitrate/40% of weekly benefit rate/maximum part-time earnings allowed):

$57,000 per year: $573/230/803$50,000 per year: $502/201/703

$45,000 per year: $452/181/ 633

$40,000 per year: $402/141/543

$35,000 per year: $352/121/473

$30,000 per year: $302/101/403

$25,000 per year: $252/81/333

$20,000 per year: $202/61/263

$15,000 per year: $152/41/193

The Tricky Part

Onceyour part-time earnings exceed 40% of your weekly benefit rate, the amount ofyour unemployment benefits will be reduced according to a formula.Inorder to understand the formula, one needs to understand the verbiage thatUnemployment uses to describe the above numbers.  Take, for example, the column$573/230/803.  Unemployment refers to$573 as your “Weekly Benefit Rate.”  Itrefers to $230 as your “Partial Benefit Credit” (don’t ask me why!).  Oddly, Unemployment does not have a name forthe $803 figure, so I call it “the Product.”

Now that we understand the nomenclauture, we (hopefully) can understand the following statement:

If youare working part-time and earning more than your Weekly Benefit Rate, but lessthan the Product, you will get the difference between the Product and yourearnings for each given week.

Examples: 
Your Productis $803 and you are earning $750 per week in a part-time job.  You would get $53 per week in unemploymentbenefits.
Your Productis $633 and you are earning $450 per week in a part-time job.  You would get $183 per week in unemploymentbenefits.
Your Productis $403 and you are earning $250 per week in a part-time job.  You would get $153 per week in unemploymentbenefits.
Your Productis $263 and you are earning $150 per week in a part-time job.  You would get $113 per week in unemploymentbenefits.

More questions about Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation law?  Click Here for our comprehensive answers to your most common FAQs.