I have recently left my employer of over 5 years. I have been in management for over 4 years and was informed that due to economic conditions they were eliminating my team and was offered a demotion to a sales rep position at a significant pay cut and reduction to only 35 hours per week. I chose to leave the organization.

Will I qualify for UI?

Maybe, maybe not. That's pretty situation specific and will depend on how much of a demotion it was, how much the pay cut was, and to some degree how the claims adjuster feels the day your claim crosses their desk.

For the most part, the state (any state) prefers that you have SOME income rather than NO income, and will be more likely to pay partial benefits to someone who accepted a pay cut over someone who quit rather than take a pay cut. But the devil is in the details and specifics matter. If the changes are deep enough, UI is possible though not guaranteed. All you can do is apply and see what they say.

Thanks for the reply. It would have resulted in me taking about a 40% pay cut. Hopefully I catch someone who is in a good mood!