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

Yes, you can work part-time and still collect unemployment in Washington! You just need to report all your work hours and earnings when you file your weekly claim. Washington ESD has something called partial unemployment benefits. Basically, they'll reduce your weekly benefit amount based on how much you earn, but you won't lose benefits completely unless you work more than full-time hours or earn more than your weekly benefit amount plus $5.

Yes you can work part-time and still get some unemployment benefits! Washington ESD has a partial benefits formula. You need to report ALL wages earned during your weekly claim filing. They'll deduct 75% of your gross earnings from your weekly benefit amount, but you keep 25% as an incentive to work.

The formula is pretty straightforward - they subtract your gross earnings from your weekly benefit amount, but you get to keep the first $5 you earn without any reduction. So if your weekly benefit is $400 and you earn $100, you'd get $305 in unemployment benefits that week ($400 - $100 + $5).

So if I make $450 that week, they'd subtract $337.50 from my $520 benefit? That would leave me with like $182.50 plus the $450 I earned?

I went through this same situation last year and honestly, calling Washington ESD to get clarification was the best thing I did. The online info can be confusing and I wanted to make sure I understood exactly how working would affect my benefits. I used Claimyr.com to get through to an actual agent - they have this system that calls for you and waits on hold. Saved me hours of trying to get through myself.

Exactly! Plus you'd still be building work history and keeping your skills sharp. Just make sure you're still available for full-time work and doing your job searches.

Just make sure you're still meeting the job search requirements too. Working part-time doesn't exempt you from having to look for full-time work and document your job search activities in WorkSource.

Be super careful about reporting everything correctly on your weekly claims. I made a mistake once and didn't report some cash work I did and Washington ESD hit me with an overpayment notice months later. Always better to over-report than under-report.

That's scary! How much was the overpayment? Did you have to pay it all back?

be careful though - if you work too many hours they might question whether you're truly available for full time work. I had a friend who worked 35 hours one week and Washington ESD flagged her claim for adjudication

I'm in a similar situation and was wondering about this too. Thanks for asking! The responses here are really helpful.

Another thing to keep in mind - make sure your part-time employer isn't taking out unemployment taxes. If they are, you might run into issues later when Washington ESD tries to reconcile your wages. I had this happen and it created a mess that took months to sort out.

It was like $1800. I'm still paying it back in installments. They're pretty strict about accurate reporting.

The 25% earnings disregard is one of the better features of Washington's UI system. You can work up to your weekly benefit amount and still receive some unemployment. Just remember you still need to be actively seeking full-time work and available for work to maintain eligibility.

The Washington ESD website has a partial benefits calculator that might help you figure out exactly how much your benefits will be reduced based on your part-time earnings. I found it pretty useful when I was in this situation.

ugh the washington esd system is so confusing. i worked part time for a few weeks and reported everything but then got an overpayment notice months later saying i owed money back. turned out there was some error in how they calculated my partial benefits

What if the part-time job turns into full-time? Do you just stop filing claims?

I'd recommend documenting everything too. Keep copies of your pay stubs, screenshots of your weekly claims where you reported the work, etc. If there's ever a question later, you'll have proof that you reported everything correctly.

If you start working full-time (30+ hours) or earning more than your weekly benefit amount, you'd typically stop being eligible for that week. You can always reopen your claim later if the job doesn't work out.

One more thing - if the part-time job turns into full-time, you need to close your unemployment claim immediately. Don't wait until your next weekly filing. You can always reopen it later if the job doesn't work out.

I tried calling Washington ESD about this exact question last week and spent 3 hours on hold before giving up. Might try that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier.

honestly trying to get through to Washington ESD to ask questions like this is impossible. i've been calling for weeks about my adjudication issue and can never get through. the phone system just hangs up on you after being on hold forever.

Bottom line - yes you can work part-time and collect unemployment, but be honest about everything. Report all hours and wages, keep good records, and don't work so much that you're not available for full-time work. The system is designed to help people transition back to full-time employment.

I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They actually get you through to a real person at Washington ESD. I was skeptical at first but watched their demo video (https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ) and decided to try it. Got through to an agent in like 15 minutes instead of calling for days.

Really? That actually works? I'm desperate at this point, been trying to reach them about my partial work reporting for 2 weeks.

Yeah it's legit. They have some system that gets you in the queue properly. Worth checking out if you're stuck.

Make sure you understand the difference between gross and net pay when reporting. Washington ESD wants your gross earnings before taxes and deductions. I see people mess this up all the time.

Good point! So if my gross is $450 but take-home is $380, I report the $450 right?

Correct! Always report gross earnings. Let them do the calculations on their end.

I've been working part-time and collecting partial benefits for 3 months now. It's actually worked out well - I'm making more total income than just unemployment alone. Just be religious about reporting every penny you earn.

That's encouraging! Are you still required to do job searches while working part-time?

Yes, you still need to do your 3 job search activities per week and be available for full-time work. The part-time work can't interfere with your availability for other employment.

What counts as being 'available' if you're already working part-time? I'm confused about this requirement.

The Washington ESD website has a whole section about working while on unemployment but it's buried in their FAQ somewhere. Basically you can earn up to 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount before you lose all benefits for that week.

Wait, 1.5 times? So I could earn up to $780 and still get some benefit? That doesn't sound right based on what others said.

No that's not correct. You lose ALL benefits if you earn more than your weekly benefit amount ($520 in this case). The 1.5x rule might be for something else.

You might be right, I could be mixing up the rules. The Washington ESD site is confusing as hell.

Just took a part time job myself and was worried about the same thing! Been trying to call Washington ESD for clarity but their phones are useless. Found out about this Claimyr thing from someone on Reddit - actually got through to an agent who explained everything clearly. Game changer.

Another person mentioning Claimyr... is this for real? What did the agent tell you about partial benefits?

Yeah it's real - they confirmed the 75% deduction rule and emphasized reporting gross earnings. Agent was super helpful, way better than trying to figure it out from their website.

be careful about the job search requirement while working part time. you still need to prove you're looking for full time work even if you have the part time job. i almost got disqualified because i slacked off on job applications thinking the part time work was enough.

Good reminder! So I still need to apply for 3 jobs per week even with the part-time position?

yep, still 3 job search activities weekly. and you need to be available for full time work during business hours when you're not at your part time job.

I'm in a similar situation - part time work while on UI. The extra income really helps but the reporting requirements are stressful. I triple-check everything before submitting my weekly claim because I'm paranoid about making a mistake.

Same here! I take screenshots of everything and keep detailed records. Better safe than sorry with overpayment issues.

What kind of records do you keep? Just pay stubs or more detailed stuff?

Pay stubs, timesheets, emails about schedule changes, basically anything that shows exactly when I worked and how much I earned each week.

Washington ESD's partial benefit system is actually pretty generous compared to other states. The 25% earnings disregard gives you incentive to work. Just don't try to game the system - they do audit these things.

How often do they audit? Is it random or triggered by something?

It can be random or triggered by discrepancies in your reporting vs employer wage reports. They cross-check everything eventually.

Pro tip: report your earnings in the week you actually earned them, not when you get paid. If you work Monday-Friday but don't get paid until the following Tuesday, report those earnings for the week you worked.

Oh wow, I wouldn't have thought of that distinction. So it's based on when work was performed, not when payment was received?

Exactly! This trips up a lot of people, especially with jobs that pay weekly but a week behind.

I tried working part time while on unemployment last year and it was more hassle than it was worth. Between the job search requirements, reporting everything perfectly, and reduced benefits, I ended up just focusing on finding full time work instead.

That's a valid approach too. Sometimes the administrative burden isn't worth the extra income, especially for short-term part-time work.

I think for me the extra $600+ per week total would be worth the paperwork hassle, at least for now.

Make sure your part-time employer knows you're on unemployment. Some employers get weird about it, but there's nothing illegal about working part-time while collecting UI benefits as long as you report it properly.

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

I'd probably wait until after hiring unless they specifically ask about your employment status. No need to complicate things unnecessarily.

Been doing part-time + unemployment for 6 months now. Key things: report everything accurately, keep doing job searches, stay available for full-time work. It's extra money that helps bridge the gap while looking for permanent employment.

6 months seems like a long time - has Washington ESD ever questioned your job search efforts or availability?

No issues so far. I document everything thoroughly and I'm genuinely looking for full-time work. The part-time job is clearly temporary income while job hunting.

If anyone's still having trouble reaching Washington ESD about partial benefits questions, I used Claimyr last month and finally got answers. Their system actually works - connected me to an agent who walked through the whole partial benefits calculation. Worth trying if you're stuck in phone hell.

That's the third mention of Claimyr in this thread... I might have to check it out if I run into issues with my reporting.

I was skeptical too but honestly after weeks of failed phone attempts, anything that works is worth trying.