Jan 26, 2009 6:52 pm US/Eastern
Even The Under-Employed Can File For Unemployment
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Even if you're working, you can still qualify for unemployment benefits. It may sound strange but it's pefectly legal. (File)
AP
Even if you're working, you can still qualify for unemployment benefits. It may sound strange but it's pefectly legal.
Before Christmas, Aisha Awadallah was working 40 hours a week in a clothing store. This week?
"Actually this week I only have 5 hours," she tells CBS 2. "It's just getting by really, living paycheck to paycheck."
Awadallah, a college student with lots of expenses, is under-employed – not laid off or fired, but her hours are drastically cut back. And with national unemployment at it's highest in 16 years, and 1 in 4 jobs being lost from the retail industry, she's got lots of company.
It turns out though that some of the under-employed are actually eligible for unemployment insurance.
"We can help people understand the unemployment system. We can help them qualify for their benefits," says Stuart Applebaum of the Retail, Wholesale & Dept. Store Union.
You're considered underemployed and can "double dip" in unemployment benefits when:
You work no more than three days a week
Make less than $405 per week
Are actively seeking full-time work
So while Awadallah polishes her resume and looks for a second part time job, it's reassuring to know if new jobs don't come, new help will.
With unemployment claims at the highest that they've been in decades some states are simply running out of money. New York and New Jersey are both included in that group, but both states have assured CBS 2 that they are getting federal loans to cover all legit unemployment claims.
You may also be entitled to unemployment benefits if you're currently receiving severance pay.
For more information, contact your state's unemployment offices:
New York
New Jersey
Connecticut
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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