Will someone eventually lose ability to collect unemployment if working part-time for extended period?

by Jim
(Orlando, FL)

My wife has been working for a company for the last 6 years in Florida. She has been making $18/hour ($720/week) up until a few months ago. She has been working about 25hours a week and will be going down to 20 hours a week soon. I believe that she is earning enough money that she would receive minimal, if anything, in regards to unemployment insurance. If she continues to work PT (approx 360/week) I am concerned that it will influence her base period numbers and thereby changing the amount that she would be eligible to receive if she does get laid off in the next few quarters. Is this a correct understanding?


Hi Jim,

Yes, you are correct in your assumption.

Given that a base period is determined relative to the date you file a claim with this: The first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters and that a weekly benefit amount is usually relative to your high quarter earnings it has the potential to effect how much you'll get every week for a benefit amount.

The resource with all the formulas for each state is on the unemployment pay page.

I think this is a consideration when hours are initially reduced, because although we aren't really informed .. we have to make a decision whether the change in conditions of employment are acceptable to us or not then .. if we wait we are unable to overcome the fact that we "accepted the new conditions.

However, when your wifes hours were reduced she became eligible for partial unemployment benefits based upon her prior earning as full-time and is still eligible. So if she is laid off she has an established claim based on her full-time earnings .. and of course this is important for any extensions as well because extensions .. extend the claim we established.