Unemployed and loving it? I think not! Most of the unemployed population can’t wait to find the right job. The bills need to be paid, and you need something more to do than sit around and watch TV all day right? While it may be nice to collect unemployment for a little while, those checks usually don’t go very far. How can you supplement that income while you search for the perfect job? Temporary work through a staffing agency of course!
But wait, you say, won’t that mess up the flow of my unemployment checks? The answer is a plain and simple one, no. Unemployment benefits are offset by the income that you collect when you take a job – permanent or temporary. If you make more than then you would on unemployment at your temporary position, you would not be able to collect your unemployment benefits fort that week, but you would still be eligible for unemployment when the position ended.
The one stipulation held here is that you must be actively looking for work to collect unemployment, so if a staffing agency were to offer a position that was for less time or money than you were looking for, you could be at risk of losing your benefits should they report your refusal because they don’t want to be on the hook for your benefits. The way to avoid this would be to be clear with the agency as to what type of work you are looking for, and be sure to tell them the minimum amount of days and dollars you would be willing to work for, so they know not to approach you with this work.
So, don’t be afraid to get take small jobs. You will still be able to collect your unemployment and you never know what sort of opportunities will arise from these jobs. Employers are always more interested in candidates who are working in some capacity than those who are not. Happy hunting!