Can't reach Washington Unemployment? Claimyr connects you to a live ESD agent in minutes.
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
If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
Really made a difference
Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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 :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
One more thought - the Washington State Historical Society might have labor statistics from the 1930s. They often have records that other places don't.
Excellent suggestion! I'll add them to my list of places to contact.
Just to summarize what others have said - you're looking at probably 25-35% unemployment in Washington state during 1933, with no Washington ESD system to help people. Pretty sobering comparison to today.
That's exactly the kind of comparison I'm hoping to make. Really puts the current Washington ESD system in perspective.
Join the conversation
Remember that 'people who are unemployed tend to have the shortest lengths of unemployment' doesn't necessarily mean what it sounds like. It could just mean that people who find work quickly are more likely to report positive experiences, while people who struggle longer might not participate in surveys or share their stories as much.
Plus companies and government agencies have incentives to promote statistics that make the system look like it's working well.
Good point about selection bias in the data. The people willing to talk about unemployment might not be representative of everyone's experience.
Join the conversation
I went through the exact same confusion about part-time work. The Washington ESD formula is pretty straightforward once you understand it - they subtract your weekly earnings from your benefit amount, but you can earn up to a certain threshold before it affects your benefits at all.
So there's like a minimum amount you can earn without it affecting benefits?
Yes, it's usually your weekly benefit amount divided by 4, plus $5. Anything under that doesn't reduce your benefits at all.
Just wanted to add that the definition of 'unemployment' for benefits is different from just not having a job. You have to meet specific eligibility criteria, maintain availability for work, and follow all the requirements. It's not automatic even if you get laid off.
This is all so much more complicated than I thought it would be!
It really is, but once you get your claim established and understand the weekly routine, it becomes much more manageable. The initial setup is definitely the hardest part.
Join the conversation
One more thing - if your employer contests your claim and says you were fired for misconduct or quit voluntarily, your claim will go into adjudication. That can delay benefits for weeks or even months while they investigate. Hopefully that won't happen but just be aware it's possible.
I really hope not. It was clearly a layoff due to slow business but I guess you never know how employers will respond.
If that happens and you need to talk to Washington ESD about it, definitely use something like Claimyr to actually reach someone. Adjudication issues are too important to just wait and hope for the best.
The benefit amount depends on your wages during the base period. Maximum weekly benefit in Washington is $929 but most people get less than that. You can get an estimate of your potential benefit amount when you file your claim.
That would be helpful to know what to expect. Thanks for all the info everyone!
Grace Johnson
Just to echo what others said about getting help if needed - I tried calling Washington ESD for weeks with questions and finally used that Claimyr service. Honestly wish I'd done it sooner instead of wasting so much time on hold.
0 coins
Jayden Reed
•Same experience here. The regular phone lines are basically useless during busy times.
0 coins
Katherine Ziminski
•Good to know there are options if I can't get through the normal way.
0 coins
Nora Brooks
Last tip - if you have any special circumstances like union membership, severance pay, or vacation payout, mention those in your application. They can affect your benefits timing but it's better to report everything upfront.
0 coins
Katherine Ziminski
•I did get a small vacation payout. Should I worry about that affecting my claim?
0 coins
Nora Brooks
•Just report it honestly. Small vacation payouts usually don't cause major issues but Washington ESD needs to know about all income.
0 coins