Calling ESD governor's office - only rings once before 'no one available' message

yep totally normal lol welcome to WA unemployment hell. ive tried calling at literally every hour the office is open and its always the same thing. one ring then goodbye. i think they just have the phones set to auto-reject when theyre too busy which is basically ALWAYS

The governor's office isn't the right place to call for unemployment claim issues. They're going to redirect you to ESD anyway. Your best bet is to contact ESD directly, but even that is challenging right now due to high call volumes. Try calling ESD right when they open at 8:00 AM or around 4:30 PM when call volume sometimes decreases. Also, make sure you've sent a message through your eServices portal about your adjudication - sometimes they respond to those within a week.

I had this EXACT same problem and wasted 2 whole weeks trying to reach someone at ESD. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an ESD agent within about 30 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. It was the only thing that actually worked after trying forever to call on my own.

The ESD phone system is COMPLETELY BROKEN and they know it!!! They don't want to talk to us because then they'd have to actually solve our problems. I've been trying to reach them for THREE MONTHS about an overpayment they say I owe from 2023. The governor's office, regular ESD line, technical support - NONE of them answer. It's a disgrace how they treat people who are already struggling!!!

I work at WorkSource (though not ESD directly) and here's what I can tell you about the phone systems. When call volume is high, they have an automatic cutoff that prevents new callers from entering the queue if the wait is already over a certain time threshold. That's why you get the immediate rejection - the system already knows they're too backed up. The most reliable ways to get through: 1. Call exactly at 8:00:00 AM (literally right as they open) 2. Keep calling repeatedly between 11:30-12:30 when some agents return from lunch 3. If you have a WorkSource office nearby, go in person and ask if they can help connect you 4. Make sure your adjudication isn't pending because of missing information - check your messages and letters in eServices And remember that calling the governor's office won't help with claim specifics - they'll just redirect you back to ESD.

Try this workaround that helped me get through: call the Spanish language line even if you don't speak Spanish. The wait times are usually much shorter, and when you get through, just explain you need an English speaker. Most of their agents are bilingual and will transfer you. I got through in about 20 minutes this way last week after trying the regular line for days.

Just wanted to add some context about adjudication timing in 2025 - the ESD has been overwhelmed with seasonal construction layoffs combined with some recent tech company downsizing. Their current published estimate for adjudication is 4-8 weeks, but many cases are taking longer. If you're facing eviction due to the delay, make sure to mention that specifically when you do reach someone - they can sometimes expedite cases with imminent hardship.

Update: I tried the Spanish line trick this morning and also tried the Claimyr service that someone mentioned above. The Spanish line still gave me the "we're too busy" message after one ring, but Claimyr actually got me through to an agent after about 45 minutes of waiting! The agent was able to see that my adjudication was delayed because they needed employment verification from my previous employer, who never responded to their request. They're expediting my case now and said I should have an update within 5-7 days. Thank you all for the suggestions!

So glad you were able to get through @Natasha! This is exactly why these community threads are so valuable - we help each other navigate this broken system. For anyone else still struggling, I've noticed that ESD sometimes updates their phone queue capacity around 2-3 PM on weekdays when agents return from extended breaks. Also worth noting that if your previous employer isn't responding to verification requests, you can often provide your own documentation (pay stubs, W-2s, etc.) to speed things up. Keep fighting everyone - the system is designed to wear us down but we can't give up!