Can I collect Washington ESD unemployment and still work part-time?

Yes you can work part-time and collect unemployment in Washington! You just have to report your earnings when you file your weekly claim. Washington ESD has an earnings deduction formula - they'll reduce your weekly benefit amount based on what you earn, but you can still get partial benefits as long as you earn less than your weekly benefit amount plus $5.

been doing this for months now, working about 15 hours a week at a retail job while collecting UI. just make sure you report everything honestly or they'll hit you with an overpayment later

The key thing is you have to be available for full-time work and actively seeking full-time employment. Working part-time is fine as long as you're not turning down suitable full-time job offers. You'll need to log your job search activities each week and be ready to take a full-time position if offered.

I tried calling Washington ESD to ask about this exact situation last month and spent 4 hours on hold before giving up. The phone system is absolutely terrible - you either get disconnected or sit on hold forever. Finally found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to an agent in like 20 minutes. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration!

MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE MATH OR YOU'LL GET SCREWED!!! I was working part-time and thought I could earn up to my full weekly benefit amount but that's WRONG. If your weekly benefit is $400 and you earn $300, you DON'T get $100 in benefits. Washington ESD deducts 75% of earnings over $5, so you'd get way less. The formula is confusing as hell.

I'm in the same boat - got laid off but kept my weekend bartending job. Been collecting for 6 weeks now with no problems. Just report your earnings honestly and you'll be fine. The system handles the calculations automatically.

also don't forget you still have to be available for work during normal business hours. if your part time job interferes with that it could be a problem

Been there! The hardest part was figuring out which week to report earnings. I kept messing it up the first month. You report for the week you actually worked, not when you got paid. Made that mistake and had to call Washington ESD to fix it.

Pro tip: keep detailed records of everything. Hours worked, gross pay, dates - everything. Washington ESD might ask for verification later and you want to have all your documentation ready.

Another thing - if you're doing gig work like DoorDash or Uber instead of traditional part-time employment, the rules are a bit different. You're technically self-employed so you report net earnings after business expenses.

I tried this last year and Washington ESD flagged my claim for review because I was working. Took 3 weeks to get it sorted out even though I was reporting everything correctly. Just be prepared for possible delays.

Quick question - do tips count as earnings that need to be reported? I work part-time as a server.

The earnings deduction can actually work in your favor sometimes. If you're only working a few hours, you might end up with more total income than just unemployment alone. It's worth running the numbers.

Watch out for holiday pay or bonuses from your part-time job. Those count as earnings too and need to be reported for the week you receive them, not when you earned them.

I've been doing this for almost a year now. The key is consistency - report every week, keep good records, and don't try to hide anything. Washington ESD will eventually catch discrepancies and it's not worth the risk.

One more thing - make sure your part-time employer knows you're collecting unemployment. Some employers get weird about it but it's perfectly legal and they shouldn't have any issues with it.

Honestly the hardest part is the weekly claims. You have to be so careful about which dates you worked and how much you earned. One mistake and your claim gets held up.

Bottom line - yes you can work part-time and collect unemployment in Washington. Just be honest about your earnings and you'll be fine. It's actually pretty common and the system is set up to handle it.

Just remember to keep looking for full-time work. That's the whole point of unemployment benefits - to support you while you find suitable full-time employment.

If you run into any issues or have questions that come up, don't hesitate to contact Washington ESD. Yeah the phone system sucks but you can also message them through your online account. Or try that Claimyr service people mentioned - seems like it actually works for getting through to agents.