How long do you have to work to collect unemployment in California?

Can you still collect unemployment benefits in California if you work part time?

• Answer:

  Yes, you can, as long as you do not make more than your weekly benefit amount after reducing by $25 or 25% of your wages payable, whichever is greater and you only work part time. Your weekly benefit check will be reduced by the remaining amount. Such work can be either in employment or self-employment, and earnings from such work are deductible from the weekly benefit amount. So this means if your weekly benefit amount is $100, you could make $125 in a week and not lose unemployment insurance. After you qualify for unemployment compensation they determine your weekly benefits, and the maximum you could earn, because the minimum weekly benefit is $40, subtracting the greater amount ($25) from your earnings means you could have a MAXIMUM gross income of $65 per week. After subtracting the $25, leaves $40, which subtracted from your benefit of $40, gives you $0 benefits for that week, but $65 from the job. The maximum of $450 benefits payable weekly means you could earn $450 plus 25% of earnings or a MAXIMUM of $600 per week. After subtracting the 25% ($150) and $450 from your earnings leaves you with $0 benefits for that week, but $600 from the job. Another example: If your benefit was $450 per week and you earned $500 in a week, subtract 25% of 500 ($125) from $500. The $375 left is deducted from your $450 benefit, giving you $75 from your benefit, or a total of$575 from both sources