Can I have a part time job while on Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

That's a relief! Do you know what the formula is? Like if I make $300 in a week, how much would they deduct from my weekly benefit?

It's a bit complicated. They subtract 75% of your gross earnings from your weekly benefit amount. So if your weekly benefit is $500 and you earn $300, they'd subtract $225 (75% of $300) leaving you with $275 in unemployment benefits.

Good point about the job search requirements. I've been keeping track but wasn't sure if I still needed to do 3 activities if I'm working.

Yeah definitely keep doing your job searches. I made the mistake of slacking off when I got a part-time gig and Washington ESD flagged my claim during an audit.

I know the frustration! I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual Washington ESD agent. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Saved me hours of redialing.

Thanks! I'll check that out. I've been calling at 8am sharp every day for two weeks with no luck.

That's scary. What happened to your friend? Did they have to pay everything back?

They had to pay back about $2,800 in overpayments plus penalties. Took them months to resolve through appeals. Just be honest and report everything when you file your weekly claims.

Nope! Washington state allows partial unemployment benefits if you're working reduced hours or earning less than your weekly benefit amount. It's designed to encourage people to take part-time work while job searching.

damn i wish i knew this earlier, i turned down a part time job thinking it would mess up my benefits

Good to know! The job I'm looking at is definitely under 25 hours so I should be fine.

Also make sure you're still able and available for full-time work. If the part-time job restricts your availability too much, that could be an issue.

That sounds like exactly what I need right now. Did you eventually find full-time work or are you still doing the part-time thing?

Found a full-time position after 4 months. The part-time work actually helped because it kept me active and gave me recent work experience to talk about in interviews.

Should I mention it in the interview or wait until after I'm hired?

I'd mention it upfront so there are no surprises. Most employers understand the situation, especially for part-time positions.

Yes, you still need to meet the job search requirements unless Washington ESD specifically waives them for your situation. Keep applying for full-time positions and document everything.

I called Washington ESD about this last month and they confirmed - working part-time doesn't change your job search requirements. You still need 3 activities per week.

I'll check that out, thanks! Having a calculator would make this so much easier to figure out.

That calculator saved me from making a huge mistake. I was about to take a job that would have reduced my benefits to almost nothing.

Good reminder. I've been filing every Sunday like clockwork since I started my claim.

Yeah I missed one week when I started working part-time and it took three weeks to get it sorted out. Such a headache.

That's good to know. I was thinking about doing some food delivery on weekends too for extra cash.

Just keep really good records of your gig earnings. Those 1099s can be tricky to track if you're not organized about it.

As long as you're meeting your job search requirements and staying available for full-time work, you should be fine. Part-time work while on unemployment is very common and accepted.

I was on partial unemployment for 5 months and never had any issues. Just be honest about everything and keep good records.

Oh that's a good point. I hadn't thought about the tax implications. Thanks for mentioning that!

Yeah I got surprised by a bigger tax bill because I didn't have enough withheld from my unemployment benefits. Consider having extra taxes taken out.

I used them too after seeing your earlier post! Finally got my questions answered about part-time work and benefit calculations.

What exactly is Claimyr? Is it like a phone service or something?

It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents by phone. Check out their demo video to see how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ

Thanks everyone! This thread has been super helpful. I feel much more confident about taking this part-time position now.

Good luck with the job! Part-time work definitely helped me stay sane during my unemployment period.