Wisconsin-can i collect unemployment if i only worked part time?

by Sammie
(Wisconsin)

I have not been fired yet, and have already asked about two other questions. But this one is the one that i really need to know, some people have told me that i cannot collect unemployment unless i work 40hrs/wk or more. Others tell me i can collect on what im working right now; if i got fired that is. Currently, i work 20-24 hrs per week, tuesday through friday, part time. So could you give me the correct answer?? By the way, thank you for making such a wonderful website, i hope that people actually take the time to read through it, instead of getting their questioned asked to get some money. I like the sentence that you wrote about knowing your rights as a worker....im glad that i found this website, you have taught me a lot in just a small amount of time, thanks.

Hi Sammie,

Actually, I answer for free, but I beg for donations. I like to help, but I'm not all that altruistic .. I like to eat:)

Part-time workers are often not able to collect unemployment, not because they aren't entitled to collect .. employers have to pay unemployment tax on part time workers wages too.

But a part time worker may find that they don't have enough qualifying wages to be eligible .. and if they do, a state may very well require that they be able and available for full-time work to collect even though the claim is based on part-time work. You can see how this would effect those that for whatever personal reason .. they can't work full-time .. usually has to do with children and childcare.

Wisconsin does not have a special provision that allows you to limit your work search to part-time, but just because there is no provision, doesn't necessarily mean that a state has not interpreted their laws and don't have a precedent which might do the same thing.

I'm giving you the link to the the WI decision digest.

If you find something that says you can limit your work search to part-time .. come back and let me know.

You can find the minimum monetary requirements needed to qualify in Wisconsin in the resource linked to on the page about unemployment pay.

Thanks Sammie:)