22 Jul I retired. Can I get unemployment from my new job?

Q. I retired from my previous employer about 10 years ago and I am receiving a union pension from my previous employment (I did not contribute to the pension). After my retirement I started a new job with a new employer and worked for them for the past 10 years. I was just laid off. Will my unemployment be reduced because of the union pension I am receiving from my previous employer?
— Without work

A. Sorry to hear you were laid off.

But the news here is good for you.

You can collect unemployment benefits while you are receiving a pension from a previous employer, said Matt Rembish, a certified financial planner with OneDigital in Boonton.

“Your pension would not affect unemployment benefits if your unemployment claim is not based on the employer that is giving you the pension – which sounds like your situation,” he said. “If you are taking Social Security, that does not affect your unemployment benefit either.”

To be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits in 2025, you must have earned at least $303 per week during 20 or more weeks in covered employment during the base year period, or you must have earned at least $15,200 in total covered employment during the base year period, Rembish said. The base period is determined using the date your claim was filed – not the date you separated from work.

If you were in a situation where you were laid off by the company you were receiving a pension from, and wanted to collect unemployment, your unemployment benefits may be reduced, he said. How much it is reduced depends on who contributed to the pension.

If your employer contributed the entire amount into the pension, your unemployment benefits may be reduced by 100% of the weekly pension amount, Rembish said, and he offered this example:

Let’s say you receive $1,200 per month from a pension, and your unemployment weekly benefit was $400. You would convert your pension to a weekly benefit — $300 per week — and reduce that from your weekly benefit. In this example, this person would receive $100 per week from unemployment. If you and your employer both contributed to the pension, your unemployment benefits may be reduced by 50%. If your employer contributed nothing to the pension, then your unemployment benefits wouldn’t be affected, he said.

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This story was originally published in July 2025.

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