Partial unemployment provisions help those who may be working but are still experiencing a loss of work. Ohio is one of the states that allows partial unemployment, but you have to meet the minimum requirements of the Department of Jobs and Family Services (DJFS) to participate. While you can only collect a portion of your benefits, it can provide a supplemental income while you search for new full-time work.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) update:

If COVID-19 has affected your job, you may be eligible for unemployment benefits. Head to the Department of Labor's website for updates, and check out careeronestop to learn how to file for unemployment in your state.

What’s Partial Unemployment?

Partial unemployment is a situation in which you experience significant loss of work yet still have some income. This allows more claimants to participate in the Ohio unemployment compensation program because of the broader eligibility requirements. You won’t receive your total eligible weekly benefit amount. Instead, the DJFS sends portion of that payment based on your earnings for the week and the earned income allowance laws.

Who Is it For?

To collect through Ohio’s partial unemployment program, you must earn less than your weekly benefit amount and work less than full-time hours. Since your weekly benefit amount is a result of your wages during the 18 months before your claim, partial unemployment benefits tend to apply to those who lost a full-time job and could only find a replacement with less pay or hours. It also can cover situations where your boss decreases your work hours or pay significantly.

Income Reporting

Reporting any earned income is a general requirement for any Ohio unemployment claimant, but it takes on special significance for the partial unemployment system. The DJFS uses the information you report to decide how much of your benefits you can collect. So for each benefit week, you must log into the claims site or call the claims line to report the gross amounts you earned. Failure to do so or doing it inaccurately can result in you paying back the benefits to the state and the state canceling your claim.

Calculating Payments

You can earn up to 20 percent of your weekly benefit amount without affecting your payments. If you earn over 20 percent, the DJFS deducts the overage from your weekly benefit amount. You receive the rest as your payment for the week. If you earn more than your weekly benefit amount, you don’t receive anything for that week.