Can I file weekly ESD claim when I exceeded earnings threshold but need to keep claim active?

Yes, absolutely file your weekly claim! This is super important even when you have weeks where you earn too much. You need to report your earnings accurately (the $1,800), and ESD will show $0 payment for that week, but your claim stays active. If you don't file for a week, your claim can go inactive and then you'd need to reopen it, which is a whole extra headache you don't need.

one time i didnt file for 2 weeks cuz i was working and my whole claim got closed had to reapply. total pain!!! just keep filing every week no matter what

To maintain an active unemployment claim in Washington, you must file weekly claims continuously, even for weeks you won't receive benefits due to excessive earnings. Here's what you should do: 1. File your weekly claim as usual this Sunday 2. Report the $1,800 in earnings accurately 3. Answer all work search questions truthfully (you still need to complete 3 job search activities despite earning too much) 4. ESD will calculate a $0 benefit for the week 5. Your claim remains open for future weeks If you skip filing, after two consecutive weeks, your claim will become inactive and you'll need to restart the application process. Always better to file and report earnings than to skip a week.

I spent FOUR HOURS trying to get through to ESD last month about a similar situation!!! Their phone system is absolute garbage. I finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an ESD rep in about 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 I was skeptical but it actually worked. The agent confirmed exactly what others are saying - always file weekly claims even when you won't get paid. Skipping weeks causes your claim to go inactive.

To answer your follow-up question - yes, you still need to complete and document 3 job search activities even for weeks when your earnings exceed the benefit threshold. The job search requirement is tied to having an active claim, not to whether you receive benefits that specific week. The only exceptions would be if you have an approved job search waiver (standby, union, Commissioner-Approved Training, etc.). Regular work for a few days doesn't exempt you from the job search requirements.

This exact thing happened to me back in January. I got a week of temp work that paid $2100, way over my benefit amount. I still filed my weekly claim, reported the earnings, and got $0 that week. The next week I had no work again and my benefits resumed automatically. The system is actually designed for this exact situation - intermittent or temporary work shouldn't mess up your overall claim as long as you keep filing and honestly report earnings.

Wait I'm confused about something... if someone works full time for a week but then gets laid off again, they still have to do 3 job search activities for that week they were working full time? That doesn't make any sense to me.

The whole unemployment system is DESIGNED to make you fail!!!! They WANT you to mess up so they can deny benefits. If you don't file one week, BOOM claim closed. If you don't do job searches even when working, BOOM disqualified. If you make one tiny mistake on reporting earnings, BOOM overpayment notice for thousands of dollars. It's a trap waiting to happen. I've been fighting with ESD for 3 months over a similar situation.

One more important detail - when you file this Sunday, make sure you answer "yes" to the question about whether you worked during the week. Then report the exact dates you worked and the gross earnings (before taxes) of $1,800. Don't round up or down - report the exact amount. And as others mentioned, don't forget to still complete your 3 job search activities for the week.