Washington Unemployment

Can't reach Washington Unemployment? Claimyr calls for you, so you don't have to wait on hold.

Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.

Using Claimyr will:

  • Connect you to a human agent at the ESD
  • Skip the long phone menu
  • Call the correct department
  • Redial until on hold
  • Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
  • Give you free callbacks if the ESD drops your call
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Ask the community...

  • DO post questions about your issues.
  • DO answer questions and support each other.
  • DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
  • DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)

Omar Fawzi

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my cousin had the same problem back in february and she ended up having to go to the WorkSource office in person with her ID and social security card. They couldn't fix it there but they gave her a direct number to call and got it sorted in a few days. might be worth checking if your local office is taking walk-ins.

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CosmosCaptain

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Just checking back - were you able to make any progress with your claim? One thing I forgot to mention is that when my wife was dealing with this, we discovered that the third-party verification sometimes fails if your license was issued in a different state before you got your WA license. In that case, you might need to provide additional documentation like a birth certificate or passport.

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I finally got through this morning! You were right about calling at 8am sharp. The agent confirmed my license is stuck in verification because I recently moved and there's an address mismatch. They're escalating it to an adjudicator who should call me within 2-3 business days. Fingers crossed this gets resolved soon. Thanks everyone for the advice!

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On this job search thing - I had a baby last year and took maternity leave and then got laid off right after coming back. I had already arranged to be a stay at home mom after my savings got built back up in a few months. I was so confused why I had to do job searches when I DIDNT EVEN WANT A JOB AT THAT POINT?? The whole system makes no sense sometimes.

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KingKongZilla

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That's actually a different situation. To qualify for unemployment, you must be able and available for work and actively seeking work. If you're planning to be a stay-at-home parent and not return to the workforce, you wouldn't technically be eligible for unemployment benefits since you're not actively seeking to return to work. The system is designed for those temporarily between jobs who are trying to rejoin the workforce.

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Update: I called ESD using that Claimyr service (which actually worked!), and the agent explained that my case is in adjudication because my former employer contested the reason for separation. I said it was a layoff, they're claiming I quit! I've sent in my termination letter through the document upload system and the agent said it should be resolved within 7-10 business days. I also applied for standby status with my offer letter. Thanks everyone for the help!

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Great! That's exactly what happened to me too - employer reported a different separation reason. Once you submitted the documentation, the timeline they gave you is pretty accurate. Glad you got through to someone who could explain what's happening!

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Justin Chang

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One more important detail - if your husband does file for partial unemployment, make sure he understands how earnings reporting works. ESD will deduct a portion of his earnings from his weekly benefit amount using this formula: - 75% of any earnings exceeding $5 and up to 1/4 of his weekly benefit amount - 100% of any earnings exceeding 1/4 of his weekly benefit amount So if his weekly benefit amount is $600 (just an example), and he earns $200 in a week: - First $5 isn't counted - 75% of earnings between $5 and $150 (which is 1/4 of $600) = 75% of $145 = $108.75 - 100% of earnings above $150 = $50 Total deduction: $158.75, making his partial benefit $441.25 for that week. Many construction workers get confused by this calculation and end up with overpayment notices later.

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Lily Young

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Thank you for explaining this! The math is more complicated than I expected. I'm going to write this down so we can calculate it each week before filing the weekly claim. Would hate to end up with an overpayment situation.

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make sure he documents EVERYTHING. take screenshots of all confirmations when filing claims. ESD "lost" half my claims last winter and tried to say I never filed them. total nightmare getting it fixed

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Lily Young

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That sounds awful! Thanks for the warning - I'll make sure he takes screenshots of everything.

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just wondering... does anyone know if we can change the tax withholding option after we've already started the claim? i selected it too but really need the full amount right now

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Nick Kravitz

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Yes, you can change your tax withholding preference. Go to your eServices account, select your current claim, and look for the option to update your payment preferences or tax withholding. The change should take effect on your next payment. Just remember you'll still owe those taxes when you file next year.

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Natalie Chen

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Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! You all were right - it was the tax withholding plus a small health insurance premium. I found where it shows the breakdown in eServices after clicking on individual payments. I feel much better knowing there's no issue with my claim. Really appreciate this community!

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Dana Doyle

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my sister works in healthcare and she said ALWAYS report training bc even if its not direct deposit ur employer reports the pay to IRS and ESD will crosscheck later

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Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I'm going to report the CE training hours for the week I complete them, save all documentation showing it was required certification training, and use the formula someone shared to estimate my reduced benefit. It sounds like this is pretty normal and won't disqualify me from benefits entirely that week. Really appreciate all the input!

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