this whole thread has been super helpful! i'm in the same situation and now i know exactly where to look for my employer registration number. thanks everyone!

Another thing to try - if you have any old W-2 forms from your employer, sometimes the registration number appears in the state wage reporting section. It might be labeled as "State ID Number" or "SUTA Account Number" (State Unemployment Tax Act). I found mine there when I couldn't locate it anywhere else. Also, if you received any notices about workplace injuries or workers comp in the past, those documents sometimes include the employer's various state registration numbers too.

This thread has been really informative. I'm bookmarking it in case I ever need this information. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences!

I went through something similar about 8 months ago. Lost my job and had two kids (ages 2 and 4) with no immediate childcare options. Washington ESD was actually pretty understanding about it. The key things that helped me were: 1) I filed my claim right away and was upfront about the childcare situation from the start, 2) I kept detailed records of every daycare I contacted, every family member I reached out to, and every potential childcare solution I explored, and 3) I continued my job search while also searching for childcare, applying to positions that might offer flexible schedules or remote work options. I received benefits for about 10 weeks while sorting everything out. The weekly claims were straightforward - just the standard questions about job search activities and availability. As long as you're genuinely trying to resolve the childcare barrier and actively looking for work, they consider you available for employment. Don't let the stress delay your filing - you've already waited two weeks and you don't want to miss out on benefits you're entitled to.

Do they deduct 100% of ur freelance earnings from ur benefits? The whole system is so unfair to freelancers!!

Just wanted to add that you should also keep copies of all your invoices and contracts for these freelance projects. ESD may ask for documentation during their periodic reviews, and having everything organized will save you a lot of headaches. I learned this the hard way when they requested records going back 6 months and I had to scramble to find everything. Also, if you're using any business expenses (software, equipment, etc.) for your freelance work, keep those receipts too - you might be able to deduct them when you file taxes, which could help offset some of the reduced unemployment benefits.

One more tip - if you're doing regular 1099 work, consider setting up a simple spreadsheet to track your hours and earnings each week. Makes the weekly claim filing much easier.

Just to add another perspective - I've been doing freelance graphic design while on unemployment and one thing that really helped me was calling Washington ESD during off-peak hours (like Tuesday mornings around 8 AM). I was able to get through and confirm exactly how to report project-based 1099 work where the hours aren't as clear-cut as traditional employment. The agent told me to estimate hours based on industry standards for the type of work I'm doing. Also, make sure you understand that if you have a really good week with 1099 income, it might make sense to spread the work across multiple weeks if possible to maximize your combined unemployment + freelance income. The partial benefit system really does help if you plan it right.

This isnt at all related to your question but make sure you do your 3 job search activities every single week!!! i missed one week and my claim got messed up and took like a month to fix

I went through this exact situation when I was laid off from my tech job in 2023. The key thing to remember is that ESD cares about when you EARNED the money, not when you received it. Your sick pay was earned during your employment period, so even though the check arrived during your claim week, you don't report it for that week. I was paranoid about getting it wrong too, so I kept detailed records of everything - copies of my final paystub, the layoff notice, and I even took screenshots of my bank deposits with dates. When I filed my first weekly claim, I reported $0 for income since I hadn't worked any hours that week, and I never had any issues with ESD about it. The one thing I'd suggest is keeping that final paystub handy in case ESD ever asks for documentation later. But based on everything I experienced and what the handbook says, you're good to report $0 for that claim week.