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Hope your paper goes well! This was definitely a unique period in economic history. The human cost behind those statistics was enormous.
One thing I noticed was how the recovery varied by industry. Some sectors bounced back quickly while others like live entertainment took years to recover.
I've been collecting unemployment for 8 weeks now at the maximum rate. One thing to keep in mind is that you still have to meet all the job search requirements even if you're getting the max benefit. Washington ESD doesn't care how much you're getting - the requirements are the same for everyone.
One more thing about maximums - if you qualify for any additional programs like RESEA or Trade Adjustment Assistance, those might have different benefit calculations. But for regular UI, $999 is definitely the current weekly max in Washington.
If anyone else is in the same boat as OP, just remember that Washington ESD is required to process claims within a reasonable timeframe. If it's been more than 6 weeks without any communication, that's when you should definitely try to get in touch with them.
And if you need to reach them, seriously consider using Claimyr to avoid the phone line nightmare. Made such a difference for me when I needed to follow up on my claim.
hang in there OP, the waiting sucks but once it goes through you'll be glad you stuck with it. washington esd benefits are pretty decent compared to some other states
Bottom line: file when you need to, don't overthink it. I've collected unemployment 5 times over 20 years and never had an issue. The system is there to help people between jobs, not to punish them for needing help multiple times.
This has been such a helpful discussion. I'm bookmarking this thread for future reference. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and knowledge about the Washington unemployment system.
Giovanni Moretti
So wait, if I had multiple jobs last year do all those employers contribute to my benefit amount?
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Diego Vargas
•Your benefit amount is calculated based on wages from all covered employers during your base period. Each employer that paid you wages contributed to the fund through their payroll taxes.
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Giovanni Moretti
•That makes sense! So it's not just my most recent employer that's 'paying' for my benefits.
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Fatima Al-Farsi
this whole thread has been super helpful! I had no idea how the financing worked behind the scenes. Thanks everyone for explaining it so clearly
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Chloe Harris
•Same here! I feel like I understand the system so much better now.
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Dylan Cooper
•Yeah it's actually pretty interesting how it all works together. The more you know!
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