One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure you understand how your union dues affect your unemployment benefits. Some halls require you to stay current on dues even during slow periods to maintain good standing for dispatch. I learned this the hard way when I got behind on dues while collecting UI and then couldn't get dispatched when work picked back up. Also, if you do end up taking that temp job while waiting for union work, just know that ESD will reduce your weekly benefit by about 75% of what you earn over $5. So if your UI benefit would be $400/week and you make $200 at the temp job, you'd get about $255 from UI that week ($400 minus 75% of $195). Sometimes it's still worth it financially, but run the numbers first. The key is being completely honest on your weekly claims about any work and earnings - even if it's just a day here and there. ESD cross-references with employment records and will catch discrepancies eventually.

I went through this exact situation last year as a union carpenter. Few things to add that might help: 1. When you get that verification letter from your hall, ask them to date it for when the slow period actually started, not when you request it. This can help with your claim start date. 2. If you're worried about the processing delays everyone mentioned, consider applying online late at night (like 11pm-1am) when fewer people are on the system. I had much better luck that way. 3. Don't forget that your benefit amount is also affected by any pension contributions or other deductions from your union paychecks during your base period. ESD uses your gross wages, so sometimes your UI benefit might be higher than your take-home was on some smaller jobs. 4. Keep checking with your hall even while on standby - sometimes short-term jobs pop up that weren't there the day before. Better to work a few days and report it properly than miss opportunities. The standby route is definitely your best bet for the seasonal slowdown. Just make sure all your paperwork is solid before you file. Good luck!

One more resource if anyone wants to dive deeper - the BLS has a great explanation of all the different unemployment measures on their website. Helped me understand the differences better when I was curious about this stuff.

This thread really cleared up a lot of confusion for me too! I was seeing U6 mentioned in job market reports and thought it might be some enhanced unemployment program I wasn't aware of. It's actually kind of reassuring to know that when economists say the "real" unemployment rate is higher, they're including people in situations like mine who took part-time work while still looking for full-time positions. At least now I understand why the numbers in news articles don't always match what I see on my Washington ESD account!

I'm in week 7 of waiting for ANY response from the Commissioner's Review Office and this thread is both helpful and terrifying! Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences. I mailed my petition with certified mail so I know they got it, but the silence is killing me. @Nia Davis - I'm going to try calling that direct number (360) 570-5126 you mentioned tomorrow. Really appreciate you sharing your expertise as a former hearing rep. @Keisha Williams - Had no idea about Northwest Justice Project, definitely going to look into that. The contingency fee info is super helpful too. One question for anyone who's been through this - did any of you get different outcomes at the Commissioner level than you did at the OAH hearing? I'm trying to stay hopeful but wondering if they actually overturn many decisions or if it's mostly just a formality before Superior Court. The stress of not knowing anything for months while bills pile up is almost worse than just getting denied quickly. At least then you know where you stand!

I'm in week 4 of waiting for any acknowledgment from the Commissioner's Review Office and this thread has been incredibly helpful - both reassuring and concerning at the same time! It's frustrating that there's no automated confirmation system in 2025, but at least now I know the 4+ week silence is unfortunately normal. @Nia Davis - Thank you so much for sharing that direct phone number (360) 570-5126 and your expertise as a former hearing rep. The timeline info is really valuable even though it's depressing to hear it could be 4-6 months total. I've been continuing to file my weekly claims even though I was disqualified, but I'm glad to see multiple people confirming that's the right thing to do. The thought of potentially getting months of back pay if I win makes the tedious weekly filing worth it. Has anyone had success with that Claimyr service mentioned earlier? I'm desperate enough at this point to try anything to get some kind of status update. The not knowing is honestly worse than just getting bad news quickly. Sending solidarity to everyone else stuck in this awful waiting game. The system really does seem designed to make people give up, but threads like this give me hope that persistence can pay off.

This whole thread should be pinned somewhere. So much useful info about stopping unemployment claims properly.

Great advice from everyone here! Just want to emphasize one more important point - if you're switching from unemployment to work, make sure you understand how your final paycheck timing might affect your last claim. If you get paid for your first few days of work during the same week you're filing your final unemployment claim, you need to report those earnings accurately. Washington ESD calculates benefits based on when you actually performed the work, not when you receive the paycheck. Better to be overly cautious with reporting than risk an overpayment situation later.

I just went through this exact situation last month! Had an old claim from 2019 and filed a new one in 2025. Like everyone mentioned, ESD definitely keeps your old payment info on file. What I found helpful was not just updating the bank info, but also checking that my address was current too - apparently if your address doesn't match what your bank has on file, it can sometimes cause delays. Also, once you update your payment method, you should get a confirmation message on your dashboard within 24 hours. If you don't see that confirmation, it might mean the update didn't go through properly. Glad you got it sorted out before any payments went out!

This thread has been super helpful! I'm actually in a similar boat - filed a new claim after having one in 2019 and completely forgot about the banking info issue. Just logged into eServices and found my old direct deposit info under Settings > Payment Preferences like others mentioned. Quick tip for anyone else looking: if you're having trouble finding it, try using Ctrl+F to search for "payment" or "bank" on the page - that's how I finally spotted it buried in the menu. Also wanted to mention that when I updated mine, it gave me an option to set up text notifications for when payments are processed, which seems like it would be really useful for keeping track of everything. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!