Question â If I get laid off, will working part-time affect my Unemployment Insurance Benefits? Answer â Yes, but in
Workforce Solutions Texoma Rapid Response Unit Information for Laid-Off Workers
Question – If I get laid off, will working part-time affect my Unemployment Insurance Benefits? Answer – Yes, but in a positive way. Explanation: When you are determined eligible to receive Unemployment Insurance Benefits, the Texas Workforce Commission determines your Weekly Benefit Amount based on your previous wages. You are eligible to receive benefits for 26 weeks, so once the amount is determined, it is multiplied by 26, and an account is opened for you with that much Unemployment Insurance available. Let’s say you are determined to be eligible, and your weekly benefit amount is $400.00. Here’s what that would look like: $400.00 Weekly Benefit Amount
x
26 Weeks
=
$ 10,400.00 Maximum Benefit
Obviously, if you draw your full $400.00 each week, at the end of 26 weeks, your Account Balance will be $0. What happens if you work and report wages? Texas Workforce Commission adds 25% to your weekly benefit amount, subtracts the wages you report, and pays you the difference. On the $400.00 Weekly Benefit example, this is what that would look like: $400.00 Weekly Benefit Amount
+
25%
=
$
500.00
x
26 Weeks
=
$ 13,000.00 Benefits + Earnings
This means you automatically have an opportunity to bring home an additional $2,600 for the period, but that’s not all, you would actually extend the amount of time you could receive benefits.
Let’s say you take a part time job right away, at $10.00 per hour, and work 25 hours per week. You would earn $250.00 per week. If you did that, and reported $250.00 per week, your benefits would last for more than 41 weeks. $500.00 Benefits + Earnings
$13,000.00 Benefits + Earnings
-
/
$250.00 Earned
=
$250.00 Benefits Received
$250.00 Benefits Received / Week
=
41.6 Weeks
That’s an additional 15 weeks to look for the right job. Adding 15 weeks to the amount of time you could receive benefits is not the only good thing about working part-time while you’re receiving benefits. You are staying in the workforce – potential employers like to see that – and, you never know when a part-time job might lead to a full-time offer. If you get laid off: 1) Register in workintexas.com, 2) Apply for your Unemployment Insurance Benefits, and 3) Start looking for full-time – and part-time – work right away.
