If you’re entitled to unemployment, you may be concerned that working for a rideshare or food delivery platform will jeopardize your benefits. Luckily, most states allow you to work part time and still receive partial unemployment benefits.

Unemployment basics

In most states, you lose your benefits if you begin working too many hours in a given week. In some states, even a 30 hour per week job can be enough to remove your benefits. However, you normally can work a certain number of hours without having it affect your benefits.

States also have individual requirements for obtaining partial unemployment benefits. If that’s something you’re interested in, here are the requirements for each state.

Generally, you file for unemployment through your state’s Department of Workforce Development.

Alabama

Max benefits: $265 per week.

Weeks of benefits: 26

Partial unemployment in Alabama requires you to file a claim each week. You will qualify for a set amount each week. Your check will consist of the difference between your maximum benefit payment and the amount you made that week.

Alaska

Max benefits: $370 per week.

Weeks of benefits: 26

Alaska only permits a maximum of $50 income before you move from full unemployment to partial. However, you need to report all of your income. Every dollar over $50 of earnings reduces your partial payment by $0.75.

Arizona

Max benefits: $240 per week.

Weeks of benefits: 26

Any earnings after $30.50 will change your benefits from full unemployment to partial. If you earn over this amount, your payment will be the difference between the max unemployment and what you made.

Arkansas

Max benefits: $451 per week.

Weeks of benefits: 26

If you work under 40 hours in a given week and earn under 140 percent of your maximum benefits for that week, you will be eligible for partial unemployment benefits. The move from full to partial benefits occurs when you earn 40 percent of your total weekly benefits.

California

Max benefits: $450 per week.

Weeks of benefits: 26

Benefits for the State of California are more complicated. Any earnings $25.99 or below don’t count toward changing your benefits. If you earn between $26 and $99.99, you disregard the first $25, and you receive the difference between your maximum and the amount you earned. Wages of over $100 have 25 percent disregarded and the total is calculated the same way.

Connecticut

Max benefits: $590 per week.

Weeks of benefits: 26

Your weekly benefit rate will have two thirds of your earnings deducted from it to calculate your total payment.

Colorado

Max benefits: $529 per week.

Weeks of benefits: 26

You lose all benefits in Colorado once you work 32 hours in a given week. However, as long as you work below 32 hours, you will receive your full benefits check as long as your earnings only have 25 percent of it.

Delaware

Max benefits: $330 per week.

Weeks of benefits: 26

In Delaware, you can earn without penalty up to 50 percent of your weekly unemployment payment. After that, your earnings are subtracted from the unemployment check to calculate your partial payment.

Florida

Max benefits: $275 per week.

Weeks of benefits: 19

All income you earn in Florida will come off of your weekly unemployment payments.

Georgia

Max benefits: $330 per week

Weeks of benefits: 18

The first $50 of your wages each week do not count against you in any way. This means that you can receive full unemployment benefits so long as you earn under $50. It also doesn’t matter whether you receive the part time work before or after your claim is approved.

Hawaii

Max benefits: $560 per week.

Weeks of benefits: 26

Hawaii calculates partial benefits based on the difference between your normal payment and your gross earnings for that week, plus $150. So for example, if your normal check is $560 and you bring in $260, you’ll actually still receive $450. The only ways you are disqualified is if you work full time or do not meet the eligibility requirements.

Idaho

Max benefits: $336 per week.

Weeks of benefits: 26

Idaho will give you your full payment for your unemployment benefits as long as you earn 50 percent of your weekly unemployment or under. Over that halfway point, every dollar you earn will be deducted from your partial unemployment check. Working full time and/or earning 1.5 times your unemployment check in a given week will eliminate your payments for that week. If you do this more than twice in two weeks, you will have to open a new unemployment claim to resume payments.

Indiana

Max benefits: $390 per week.

Weeks of benefits: 26

Indiana allows for unemployment benefit payments both for those working part time and for those whose employers have reduced their hours below their normal full time levels. Anything earned in a given week that is more than 20 percent over your regular unemployment check will come off your total payment amount.

Illinois

Max benefits: $418 per week.

Weeks of benefits: 26

Illinois will pay your full unemployment benefits until you make over 50 percent of your weekly unemployment amount. After that, any earnings above that 50 percent get taken off your total check amount dollar for dollar. If you earn more than your normal check would be, your unemployment benefit will stop.

Iowa

Max benefit: $459 per week.

Weeks of benefits: 26

Iowa pays full benefits up until you make 25 percent of your regular payment. If you make $400 per week from unemployment, that means you can earn up to $100 before your earnings affect your unemployment check. Every dollar after that gets subtracted from your final payment.

Kansas

Max benefits: $420 per week.

Weeks of benefits: 26

As long as you’re not working full time or earning more than the max of $420 per week (or whatever your weekly payment is), you can cash in on unemployment in Kansas. You must report all earnings each week, but earnings that are under 25 percent of your regular payment don’t affect your full unemployment benefits payment. Anything above 25 percent will come off at a dollar for dollar rate from your partial unemployment check.

Kentucky

Max benefits: $415 per week.

Weeks of benefits: 26

As of 2011, Kentucky residents can collect unemployment even if they are still employed and have simply had their regular hours cut by their employer. Also, if you work under full time and under 1.25 times your weekly payment, you are eligible for partial unemployment. Eighty percent of gross wages earned during the week get deducted from your weekly unemployment check amount.

Louisiana

Max benefits: $247 per week.

Weeks of benefits: 26

Partial unemployment benefits here are only paid to workers who have had their hours cut. If you’re not still employed (just at reduced hours) you may not be eligible.

Maine

Max benefits: $378 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

Any earnings greater than $25 gets deducted, and any earnings greater than $5 above your total weekly payment bars you from receiving benefits that week.

Maryland

Max benefits: $430 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

Earnings over $50 will get deducted from your total unemployment check.

Massachusetts

Max benefits: $674 per week

Number of weeks: 30 weeks

There is no penalty to unemployment checks so long as your earnings are under a third of your weekly unemployment. After that, however, earnings are deducted dollar for dollar until the unemployment check reaches zero for that week. Full time (35 to 40 hours) also causes partial unemployment payments to go to zero.

Michigan

Max benefits: $362 per week.

Number of weeks: 20

Workers who work less than or equal to their weekly benefit amount have their benefits reduced by 40 percent. Wages exceeding that limit but not exceeding 1.6 times your benefits check allow for a payment of the difference between your earnings and 1.6 times your regular benefits check amount. No combination of payments can exceed 1.6 times your benefit amount.

Minnesota

Max benefits: $629 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

You may receive partial benefits provided you work less than 32 hours in a given week. For weeks where you work but are still under the 32-hour threshold, half of what you earn will come off your final unemployment check.

Mississippi

Max benefits: $235 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

You will receive full unemployment benefits so long as you earn under $40. Any earnings over $40 come off your paycheck dollar for dollar.

Missouri

Max benefits: $320 per week.

Number of weeks: 20

You will receive your full benefits as long as your earnings for that week are under 20 percent of your regular benefit check. Any earnings over that 20 percent comes off your unemployment check on a dollar for dollar basis.

Montana

Max benefits: $464 per week.

Number of weeks: 28

In order to have partial unemployment paid to you, you must be working less than full time and be working all hours available to you (this one is going to be tough for gig economy workers). You can earn up to one fourth of your weekly benefits without penalty. After that one fourth, you will see a deduction of $0.50 for every dollar you earn. If you earnings go over double your weekly benefits, you will not receive benefits.

Nebraska

Max benefits: $362 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

You will receive full benefits up until your earnings reach 25 percent of your weekly benefits payment. After that, each dollar you earn will be deducted from your unemployment check.

Nevada

Max benefits: $407 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

As long as you don’t earn more than your weekly benefits check in a given week, you can get partial unemployment. Your partial unemployment is calculated at a rate of your regular weekly payment minus 75 percent of your total earnings.

New Hampshire

Max benefits: $427 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

You can only get partial unemployment in New Hampshire if you work under twenty hours. If you are under 20 hours, you will only receive deductions for each dollar that goes above 30 percent of your regular weekly check.

New Jersey

Max benefits: $611 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

Your unemployment benefits only change if you earn more than 20 percent of your weekly benefits payment. In that case, you will see a dollar for dollar reduction for every dollar above 20 percent.

New Mexico

Max benefits: $397 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

Your unemployment benefits only change if you earn more than 20 percent of your weekly benefits payment. In that case, you will see a dollar for dollar reduction for every dollar above 20 percent until deductions cause your check reach zero.

New York

Max benefits: $420 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

Your benefits are reduced by 25 percent for each day worked—no matter if you worked 1 hour or 12 that day. This means that if you work four days in a given week, your benefits will be zero.

North Carolina

Max benefits: $350 per week.

Number of weeks: 19

You will receive your full unemployment for weeks you earn less than 20 percent of your regular benefits check. After that, you will see dollar for dollar deductions of anything in excess of that 20 percent.

North Dakota

Max benefits: $470 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

There is no penalty for working as long as you earn under 60 percent of your benefits check. After that, you’ll see a dollar for dollar decline in your check until benefits reach zero for that week. You must also work all available hours.

Ohio

Max benefits: $418 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

You will receive your full benefits for weeks you earn less than 20 percent of your regular unemployment check. After that, you will see dollar for dollar deductions of anything in excess of that 20 percent.

Oklahoma

Max benefits: $440 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

Oklahoma does not offer partial unemployment benefits at this point.

Pennsylvania

Max benefits: $573 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

Pennsylvania allows you to earn up to 40 percent of your benefits check without lowering your benefits. Once you hit 140 percent, you lose benefits.

Rhode Island

Max benefits: $566 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

You can collect partial unemployment as long as you’re not earning more than your benefits check would be and as long as you’re not working full time. The department will pay you the difference between your check and your earnings, plus 20 percent.

South Carolina

Max benefits: $326 per week.

Number of weeks: 20

In order to collect partial unemployment, you must earn less than your check would be. Your partial unemployment will be your earnings minus 25 percent, subtracted from your weekly check.

South Dakota

Max benefits: $345 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

If you work more than 40 hours or earn more than your weekly benefit, you will not receive benefits. Otherwise, your earnings over $25 will come out of your check at  rate of 75 percent.

Tennessee

Max benefits: $275 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

You may earn either $50 or 25 percent of your weekly benefits (whichever is greater) before it affects your unemployment. After that, your benefits will be lowered. If you earn more than your weekly payment, you will need to reopen your claim.

Texas

Max benefits: $465 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

You will receive full benefits until you earn 25 percent of your weekly benefits. After that, you will receive partial unemployment.

Utah

Max benefits: $479 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

As long as you work under 40 hours, you can earn up to 30 percent of your weekly benefits without seeing a deduction. After that, you will see a dollar for dollar deduction to your benefits for earnings above the 30 percent threshold.

Vermont

Max benefits: $425 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

Partial unemployment in Vermont is the difference between your regular unemployment check and your earnings for that week.

Virginia

Max benefits: $378 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

Partial unemployment for Virginia is your regular unemployment check minus $50 less than your earnings for that week. If you earn more than your unemployment check would normally be, you will not receive unemployment.

Washington

Max benefits: $637 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

Washington’s partial unemployment is calculated via a chart, found here.

West Virginia

Max benefits: $424 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

You can keep your unemployment benefits in West Virginia as long as your earnings do not exceed your unemployment benefits plus $60. You must report all earnings every week, regardless of the amount.

Wisconsin

Max benefits: $370 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

Earnings up to $30 do not get counted against your unemployment. After that, you will see deductions at a rate of 67 cents per dollar.

If you work over 32 hours or your earnings (gross) are over $500, you will not receive benefits. You can easily find your maximum weekly earnings by subtracting $5 regular weekly benefit rate (WBR), dividing the rest by 0.67, and then adding $30. That number is your maximum weekly earnings.

Wyoming

Max benefits: $471 per week.

Number of weeks: 26

If you work more than 35 hours in a week, you will not receive benefits. Otherwise, you will see a dollar for dollar reduction for every dollar you earn that is above 50 percent of your maximum weekly payment.

 

Ready to get started with the gig economy? Consider Uber, or check out our tips for earning more with Postmates.