Full time job and self employment income

by Lindsay
(Fort Myers, FL USA)

I live and work in Florida. My company is laying people off left and right and I am afraid I may be next. I have been working as a Realtor on the side for extra income. My full time job (W2 income) is my primary source of income but having a couple of sales a year has been good for supplementing my income. Will unemployment deny me if I am still licenced and actively participating in Real Estate? Should I not pursue any sales until I am on unemployment and feel confident enough to start pursuing Real Estate Sales full time? Also, if I am on unemployment and make a sale will they take that amount out of my unemployment and let me remain on unemployment?



Hi Lindsay,

This is a very good question .. but one I really don't know the answer to.

I do know that real estate agents working on commission in Florida is excluded from "covered employment"

What I don't know is whether Florida requires you to report this type of income when you are filing your continued claims for benefits or whether they would reduce your benefits if you earned a commission.

But the issue I can see Florida having for sure with this is one of whether you are able and available for full-time work ..

I suggest that you call the state of Florida or use their email form to ask the question of whether it may have an effect on your benefits from a legitimate UI claim. And this is something I would try to resolve before you get laid off .. and document the call or the email as to who told you what.

But if it does become an issue anyway .. the fact is that you can prove through records that you performed real estate selling concurrently with holding down a full-time job.

This is what you would combat any determination which claims you are not able and available for work in "covered employment".

Sorry I can't give you a definitive answer, but I hope this helps to explain what you should be asking the state about when you call them.

If anyone out there reading this knows the answer .. let us know.