Can I claim ESD benefits with part-time income after losing full-time job?
I've been working two jobs for about 9 months now - a full-time position (40 hrs/week) at a marketing agency and a part-time gig (15 hrs/week) at a local coffee shop. My manager just told me that our agency is doing layoffs next month and my position will likely be eliminated. I'm trying to figure out if I can file for unemployment while still keeping my barista job? The ESD website is confusing me with all the talk about 'partial benefits' and 'earnings deductions'. Anyone dealt with this situation before? Will the part-time income disqualify me completely or just reduce my benefit amount? Really stressed about making rent if I lose my main income source.
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Emma Wilson
You can absolutely file for unemployment while still working your part-time job. I went through this exact situation in 2025 when I lost my full-time accounting position but kept my weekend retail job. Here's how it works: 1) You'll report your part-time earnings each week when you file your weekly claim 2) ESD will deduct a portion of those earnings from your weekly benefit amount 3) As long as your part-time earnings are less than your weekly benefit amount, you'll still receive partial unemployment The formula they use: They don't count the first $75 or 25% of your earnings (whichever is greater). Then they subtract the remaining earnings from your weekly benefit amount. So you'll get reduced payments, but you absolutely can and should apply!
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Javier Torres
•Thank you so much for explaining this! Do you remember if there was a big delay in getting your first payment? I'm worried about the gap between my last paycheck and when benefits might start.
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QuantumLeap
ya they will just take some of ur weekly amount based on what u make at coffee place .... better than nothing lol ... make sure u do ur job search activities every week or they cut u off ... i think its 3 things each week?
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Emma Wilson
•That's right - it's 3 job search activities each week. And make sure you document everything in your job search log. ESD can audit your job search activities at any time.
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Malik Johnson
Be VERY careful with this!!! I had almost the same situation and ESD completely messed up my claim. They didn't process my part-time earnings correctly and then hit me with a $2,800 overpayment notice SIX MONTHS LATER saying I hadn't reported income properly even though I DID!!! Their system is BROKEN and their phone lines are IMPOSSIBLE. I spent 4 weeks trying to reach someone and kept getting disconnected. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING and take screenshots of all your weekly claims showing your reported earnings!!!
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Isabella Santos
•I had a similar experience but was finally able to reach someone at ESD using Claimyr. It's this service that connects you with an ESD agent usually within an hour. Saved me weeks of frustration. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Worth it to get my issue fixed in one day instead of waiting weeks.
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Ravi Sharma
I'm an employment counselor and work with this situation often. Just to clarify a few things: 1. You qualify for unemployment if you lost your full-time job through no fault of your own (layoff qualifies). 2. The partial unemployment formula in WA for 2025 is: - Your weekly benefit amount (WBA) is calculated based on your highest-earning quarters from your full-time job - When you report part-time earnings, they disregard the first $75 or 25% of your gross earnings, whichever is greater - They subtract the remainder from your WBA - You receive the difference 3. You still need to be able and available for full-time work and actively seeking full-time employment (3 job search activities weekly). 4. You must report your part-time gross earnings for the week you worked (not when paid). Also, keep in mind that if your part-time earnings ever exceed your WBA, you won't receive benefits for that week, but your claim remains open.
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Freya Larsen
•wait so if i make more in a week at my side gig then my benefit amount id get, i get nothing that week? but the next week if i make less then i get benefits again? thats actually pretty cool that the claim just stays open
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Javier Torres
Thanks everyone for the super helpful info! Two follow-up questions: 1. Does anyone know how they calculate the weekly benefit amount? I'm trying to figure out what my partial unemployment might be with the coffee shop income. 2. For the job search requirements - since I already have the part-time job, does that reduce the number of job searches I need to do each week?
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Ravi Sharma
•1. Your weekly benefit amount (WBA) is calculated as 1/25 of your highest-earning quarter in your base year, up to the maximum benefit of $1,025 in 2025. So if your highest quarter was $12,000, your WBA would be $480. 2. No, the part-time job doesn't reduce your job search requirements. You still need to complete 3 job search activities each week because you're expected to be seeking full-time employment. Your part-time job doesn't count toward these activities.
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Omar Hassan
When I got laid off last year I had a similar situation with my side business. Make sure you're super clear about your availability during the application process! I almost got disqualified because they thought I wasn't available for full-time work because of my side gig. Had to appeal and everything. What a headache!
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Javier Torres
•Oh that's good to know! I'm definitely available for full-time work and the coffee shop has flexible scheduling. I'll make sure that's very clear in my application.
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QuantumLeap
dont forget to apply as soon as u get laid off!!! u cant backdate it and will lose money if u wait
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Emma Wilson
•This is extremely important advice! The claim starts the week you apply, not when you lost your job. Even if you have severance or PTO being paid out, apply immediately on your first day without the full-time job.
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