How to Report Work and Wages
If you work or earn any wages while receiving unemployment benefits, you must report these wages when you certify for benefits. You can certify with UI Online or by mail using the paper Continued Claim Form (DE 4581) (PDF).
When certifying for UI benefits, report your work and gross wages (wages earned before any deductions) during the actual week you worked and earned the wages, not when you received your pay.
Note: The certification week always starts on a Sunday and ends on a Saturday.
Continued Claim Form (DE 4581) Question 6 Examples
Question 6 on the Continued Claim Form (DE 4581) (PDF) asks: “Did you work or earn any money, whether you were paid or not?”
If you are certifying by mail and want help answering this question, use the following examples.
You worked for one employer during both weeks listed, and continue to work.
First Week
- You worked five hours on Sunday, four hours on Tuesday, and three hours on Friday.
- You earn $10 an hour.
- The Date Last Worked was 01/06/XX.
- Your Total Hours Worked was 12 hours with ABC Company.
- You are Still Working the following week.
Second Week
- You worked six hours on Monday, four hours on Wednesday, and five hours on Saturday.
- You earn $10 an hour.
- The Date Last Worked was Saturday, 01/14/XX.
- Your Total Hours Worked was 15 hours with ABC Company.
- You are Still Working for your employer.
How to Answer
Answer Yes for both weeks because you worked and earned wages during the two weeks listed.
Item 6a: To calculate your earnings before deductions, multiply the number of hours you worked that week by your hourly rate of pay. Enter this information in the space provided on the form.
Item 6b: Report your employment information. Enter this information in the space provided on the form.
| Date Last Worked | Total Hours Worked | Employer Name and Mailing Address | Reason No Longer Working |
|---|
| First Week | 01/06/XX | 12 | ABC Company, 1234 Example Street Anywhere, CA 99999 | Still working |
| Second Week | 01/14/XX | 15 | ABC Company, 1234 Example Street Anywhere, CA 99999 | Still working |
You worked for multiple employers during both weeks listed, and continue to work.
First Week
- You worked for A Company and worked four hours on Sunday, four hours on Monday, and four hours on Tuesday, and you earn $10 an hour.
- You also worked for B Company and worked four hours on Wednesday, four hours on Thursday, and four hours on Friday. You earn $12 an hour.
- The Date Last Worked that week was 01/06/XX with B Company.
- Your Total Hours Worked for both A Company and B Company was 24 hours.
- You are Still Working part-time hours.
Second Week
- You worked for A Company and worked five hours on Monday, five hours on Wednesday, and five hours on Friday. You earn $10 an hour.
- You also worked for B Company and worked three hours on Sunday, three hours on Tuesday, and four hours on Thursday. You earn $12 an hour.
- The Last Date Worked that week was 01/13/XX with A Company.
- Your Total Hours Worked for both A Company and B Company was 25 hours.
- You are Still Working part-time hours.
How to Answer
Answer Yes for both weeks because you worked and earned wages during the two weeks listed.
Part 6a: To determine your gross wages, multiply the number of hours you worked that week, and multiply it by your hourly rate of pay. Enter this information in the space provided on the form.
Part 6b: Report your employment information. Enter this information in the space provided on the form. This must be completed.
Note: Report the last employer you worked for in each week. In the column Reason No Longer Working, enter Still Working.
You received residual pay during both weeks listed.
Important: To make sure you properly report your residual pay or holding fees, review Instructions to Claimants for Reporting Residual Payments and Holding Fees (DE 4005) (PDF).
First Week
- You received $56 of residual pay from your talent agent on 01/03/XX.
- The Date Last Worked in this week was 01/03/XX (the date you received your residual payment).
- You did not work any additional hours for this residual pay.
- You are not working; you just received residual pay.
Second Week
- You received $72 of residual pay from your talent agent on 01/13/XX.
- The Date Last Worked was 01/13/XX (the date you received your residual payment).
- You did not work any additional hours for this residual pay.
- You are not working; you just received residual pay.
How to Answer
Answer Yes for both weeks because you earned and received residual pay during the two weeks listed.
Part 6a: This must be completed. Enter your information into the appropriate box.
Item 6b
- Leave Total Hours Worked blank.
- In the column Reason No Longer Working, enter Residual pay.
| Date Last Worked | Total Hours Worked | Employer Name and Mailing Address | Reason No Longer Working |
|---|
| First Week | 01/03/XX | (leave blank) | ABC Talent, 999 Example Street Anywhere, CA 99999 | Residual pay |
| Second Week | 01/13/XX | (leave blank) | ABC Talent, 999 Example Street Anywhere, CA 99999 | Residual pay |
You received pension pay during the first week listed.
You may be scheduled for an eligibility interview to find out if pension is deductible from your weekly UI benefits.
If the pension is deductible, we will send a notification of the amount to be deducted from your weekly UI benefit. You will not need to report your pension on a weekly basis until you end the current claim, file a new claim, or you have a change in pension amount.
First Week
- You received a pension payment of $1500 from your retirement plan on 01/03/XX.
- The Date Last Worked was 01/03/XX (the date you received the pension payment).
- You did not work any additional hours for this pension pay.
- This is a monthly pension payment.
Second Week
- You did not receive pension pay since your pension pay is only paid once a month.
How to Answer
Answer Yes for the first week and No for the second week.
Item 6a
- First Week: Even if your pension payment was more than $999.99, enter $999.99. (Earnings before deductions that are $999.99 or more should be entered as $999.99.)
- Second Week: Leave this blank because you answered No to question 6 for the second week.
Item 6b
- Enter the exact pension payment amount under Reason No Longer Working.
- In the First Week, leave Total Hours Worked blank. Under Reason No Longer Working, enter Monthly Pension Pay.
- In the Second Week, leave all boxes blank.
| Date Last Worked | Total Hours Worked | Employer Name and Mailing Address | Reason No Longer Working |
|---|
| First Week | 01/03/17 | (leave blank) | ABC Co., 1234 Example Street Anywhere, CA 99999 | monthly pension pay |
| Second Week | (leave blank) | (leave blank) | (leave blank) | (leave blank) |
Additional Resources
For more information about unemployment claims for entertainment industry workers, visit File a Claim: Entertainment Industry.
To learn how to report work and wages using UI Online, view one of these YouTube video tutorials:
- Report Wages and Regular Earnings Using UI Online (YouTube)
- Report Entertainment Industry Earnings Using UI Online (YouTube)
- Report Self-Employment and Commissions Using UI Online (YouTube)
- Report Bonuses, Pensions and Other Types of Income Using UI Online (YouTube)
