To clarify the partial unemployment situation further - when you file weekly claims with reduced hours, make sure you're answering the question about whether you worked during that week correctly. You'll need to report the exact hours worked and gross earnings (before deductions) for each week. The system will then calculate your partial benefit amount. Just be consistent and accurate to avoid issues down the road.

Exactly! Report exactly what you worked each specific week, even if it varies. ESD understands that hours can fluctuate, especially in restaurant work. Just be accurate and report your hours and earnings for the specific week you're claiming for.

anybody know if going to a WorkSource office in person helps? can they look at ur claim there or do they just tell u to call the same impossible number?

UPDATE: I finally got through!!! Used a combination of your suggestions - called at 10:40am on Tuesday using two phones simultaneously. Got the "all lines full" message on my cell, but my roommate's phone got placed in the queue! Waited 47 minutes but finally spoke to a real person who fixed my pending issue. For anyone else struggling, the mid-morning Tuesday call time definitely seemed to help. The rep said they're training new staff so hopefully the phone situation improves soon. THANK YOU all for your help!

Interesting data point! I've been tracking my UI payment processing times for the past 13 weeks (yes, I'm that person with a spreadsheet 😂). Here's what I've found: - Average processing time: 2.3 days - Filing before 8am Sunday: 1.7 days average - Filing after 6pm Sunday: 3.1 days average - Monday filings: 3.8 days average So your timing of 12:01am Sunday likely made a significant difference! The system was probably just booting up the weekly processing cycle and you got in first. The phone vs. online probably didn't matter as much as the exact timing.

my neighbor said she heard from someone at worksource that ESD is switching to a new payment system next month and everything will be faster for everyone... anyone else hear about this??

To directly answer your follow-up question: The fact that you accepted a part-time position before your full-time one ends will NOT disqualify you. Your claim is based on the qualifying job loss (outsourcing = layoff, which is a valid reason). Taking a part-time job just shows you're being proactive about mitigating your unemployment. The key factors that will make this work: 1. Your full-time job loss was not your fault 2. You're still seeking full-time work (and completing those 3 job searches weekly) 3. You accurately report your part-time earnings each week One thing I should have mentioned: Your weekly benefit amount will be calculated based on your highest-earning quarters in your base year, which is likely from your full-time job. So that's good news for you.

Just wanted to mention one more important thing - when you start filing your weekly claims, you'll see a question about whether you were "able and available" for full-time work each day of the week. Say YES to this question even though you're working part-time. What it's really asking is if you're physically able to work and available to accept full-time work if offered (not whether you're currently working). Saying NO to this will stop your benefits. I know multiple people who answered this wrong and created huge headaches for themselves.

To add to what others have said, request a Statement of Overpayment Account through your eServices portal. This will show exactly what the system thinks you owe and for what time periods. Really helps when you get someone on the phone to have this info ready.

When you connect with an agent, be sure to ask them to document that this was a system error and request that they flag your account to prevent this from happening again in the future. Also request a formal letter confirming the resolution once it's fixed. This provides protection if it happens again.