Temp job prior to making an unemployment claim (file, receive, apply)

[KateG1980]

Hello - I have been informed that I will be laid off at the end of May. I was able to find a full time temp job (3 months) that starts early June. I hope to secure a full time position elsewhere by the end of those 3 months. If I do not, can I file an unemployment claim in September (based on my employer who laid me off in May)?

Or, is it better to open a claim at the end of May when I am laid off, then report my temp earnings for June, July, and August (and thus not receive benefits during those months), and then return to the receiving the benefits if necessary at the end of my temp job?

If the answer is state specific, I am residing in PA but work in NJ. My temp position will be in PA and is not through a temp agency. It is a position that was advertised as a 3 month temp position with a firm start and end date. (The temp position has an excellent salary and is good for networking purposes, which is why I am taking it vs. going straight to unemployment.)

Thank you so much for any advice or insight!

[Ariadne22]

How long have you worked for the NJ employer?

What is your earnings history prior to this employer?

[KateG1980]

I have been with my current NJ employer since January 2012. I was with another NJ company for two years prior to that. I was in graduate school prior to that.

I have never been unemployed before. My earnings have been fairly consistent (starting at $60k, currently around $70k).

Thank you!

[Chyvan]

Unemployment works best when you get a job as good or better than you had before.

I don't know how NJ views ui claims against a temp agency, but in some states the extra rules are enough to make people wish they'd never have done it.

I really hope you know what you're doing because you have time to tell the temp people you don't want the job, or you want more money. For me, I absolutely refuse to work temp or part time until I've drawn my last ui check and only when desperation sets in will I go that route because those kinds of jobs also seem to be there.

[Ariadne22]

Originally Posted by KateG1980

Or, is it better to open a claim at the end of May when I am laid off, then report my temp earnings for June, July, and August (and thus not receive benefits during those months), and then return to the receiving the benefits if necessary at the end of my temp job?

If the answer is state specific, I am residing in PA but work in NJ. My temp position will be in PA

Originally Posted by KateG1980

I have been with my current NJ employer since January 2012. I was with another NJ company for two years prior to that. I was in graduate school prior to that.

I have never been unemployed before. My earnings have been fairly consistent (starting at $60k, currently around $70k).

If you wait to file until your temp job ends, you will need to file in PA, because that is your last employment. Because all your base-year earnings will be from NJ, PA will then deny you and then tell you to file in NJ. On the other hand, if you file in NJ when your PA temp job ends, NJ will tell you to file in PA, get a denial from PA and then refile in NJ.

So, to avoid all that, get the NJ claim established as soon as you are laid off. You have good base-year earnings and should qualify for a full claim with EUC.

When the temp job ends, call NJ to reopen that claim. NJ will want to know the circumstances of why the temp job ends. However, the fact it was in PA shouldn't affect the NJ claim at that time. Hopefully, NJ won't ask you to apply in PA before reopening your NJ claim.

However, there are pitfalls to this job, as Chyvan has warned repeatedly on this board.

Another pitfall you need to consider is this job might void your EUC on the NJ claim as the earnings could very likely create new state claim eligibility in PA about the time you are to transfer to EUC, or later, which immediately voids EUC on your first claim, and, further, could result in possible overpayment of EUC by NJ, requiring you to pay back any federal benefits you received.

Further, this back and forth between PA/NJ will probably stop your benefits for a while, per this - see Posts #41, #42:

//www.city-data.com/forum/unemp...l#post29407396

The best time to work temp or part-time, when you have what appears will be an excellent NJ claim, is AFTER you have begun EUC benefits on that claim.

I know you don't want, or plan to be, unemployed for very long, but you never know. So, you may want to rethink taking this 3-month job at this time.

Couple of good threads on losing EUC, here:

//www.city-data.com/forum/unemp...ns-i-hope.html

//www.city-data.com/forum/unemp...-take-job.html

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by Chyvan

Unemployment works best when you get a job as good or better than you had before.

I don't know how NJ views ui claims against a temp agency, but in some states the extra rules are enough to make people wish they'd never have done it.

I really hope you know what you're doing because you have time to tell the temp people you don't want the job, or you want more money. For me, I absolutely refuse to work temp or part time until I've drawn my last ui check and only when desperation sets in will I go that route because those kinds of jobs also seem to be there.

This is the best advice on here. First off once you start this temp job you can forget interviewing anywhere else. You can't have "Dr. appts" or leave early one afternoon. And forget about calling in "sick" so you can interview.

But your biggest problem is srewing up your UE benefits. You worked, you earned them.

As Chyvan said you take temp jobs and part time jobs at the end of UI, not in the beginning.

[KateG1980]

Thank you all for the advice! I really appreciate it.