Can part time employees draw unemployment in Washington state?

Yes, you can potentially qualify for unemployment benefits even as a part-time worker! Washington ESD has provisions for 'partial unemployment' when your hours are significantly reduced. The key is that your reduced earnings must be less than your weekly benefit amount. You'll need to report your part-time wages when you file your weekly claims, and Washington ESD will calculate a partial benefit based on the difference.

I was in a similar situation last year when my restaurant cut everyone's hours. You definitely can file for partial unemployment benefits in Washington. The process is basically the same as filing for regular unemployment, but you have to report your part-time wages each week. Washington ESD will reduce your benefit amount based on what you earn, but you should still get something to help make up the difference.

Just went through this myself! The hardest part was actually getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions about my specific situation. I spent hours trying to call their main number but kept getting busy signals or getting hung up on after waiting forever. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Made the whole process so much easier than trying to navigate it alone.

Wait, so if I'm working part-time can I still do the job search requirement? I'm confused about how that works if you're already employed.

OP, make sure you understand the earnings deduction formula before you file. Washington ESD allows you to earn up to 25% of your weekly benefit amount without any reduction. After that, they deduct 75 cents for every dollar you earn. So if your weekly benefit amount would be $400, you could earn up to $100 without any reduction. If you earned $200 that week, you'd get $325 in benefits ($400 - 75% of the $100 over the threshold).

I'm dealing with something similar but my employer is saying the hour cuts are temporary. Does that matter for unemployment eligibility?

Been there! The key thing is to be super accurate when reporting your part-time wages on your weekly claims. Washington ESD will cross-reference with your employer's wage reports, so any discrepancies can cause major headaches. Always report gross wages, not net, and include any tips or commissions.

This whole system is so confusing! I had a similar situation and ended up overpaid because I didn't report my part-time wages correctly. Now I owe Washington ESD money and it's a nightmare to deal with.

Quick question - does it matter what type of part-time job you have? I'm a substitute teacher so my hours are really irregular.

Make sure you keep detailed records of your work hours and wages. Washington ESD might ask for documentation later, especially if there are any questions about your claim. I learned this the hard way when they requested pay stubs going back several months.

I was skeptical about using services to help with unemployment stuff, but honestly getting through to Washington ESD is nearly impossible sometimes. Used Claimyr when I had issues with my partial unemployment claim and it saved me so much frustration. Worth checking out if you run into problems.

One thing to keep in mind is that you still need to be able and available for work even if you're working part-time. So if your current part-time job has scheduling restrictions that would prevent you from taking other work, that could affect your eligibility.

Does anyone know if there's a minimum number of hours you need to work to still be considered 'employed' for partial unemployment? Or is any amount of work considered employment?

Just want to add that you should file your claim as soon as your hours are reduced, not wait to see if things improve. I waited a month thinking my hours would go back up and lost out on benefits I could have received during that time.

This thread has been super helpful! I'm in almost the exact same situation - part-time retail with hours getting cut way down. Going to file as soon as my reduced schedule starts.

Quick tip: when you're doing your job search activities, make sure you're looking for work that wouldn't conflict with your current part-time schedule. Washington ESD wants to see that you're genuinely available for the work you're applying to.

One more thing - if you do get offered additional work or a better job while you're receiving partial benefits, you have to take it if it's suitable work. You can't turn down good opportunities just to keep getting unemployment benefits.

Thanks for posting this question! I've been wondering the same thing but was too intimidated to ask. Really appreciate everyone's detailed answers.

Final thought - if you do end up needing to contact Washington ESD directly about your partial unemployment claim, I'd recommend trying Claimyr to help you get through. I used them last month when I had questions about my wage reporting and it was so much easier than trying to call on my own. The wait times to reach an agent are usually much shorter.

This is such valuable information! I'm a newcomer here but have been lurking and learning so much from everyone's experiences. I'm actually in a very similar boat - working part-time at a coffee shop and my manager just warned us that hours are getting cut significantly starting in January due to slower winter business. Reading through all these responses has given me so much clarity on how partial unemployment works in Washington. I had no idea you could still qualify for benefits while working reduced hours. The breakdown of the earnings formula and the emphasis on reporting everything accurately is really helpful. I'm bookmarking this thread for when I need to file next month. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences!

As someone who's been through this process twice (once during the pandemic and again last year when my restaurant cut everyone's hours), I can confirm that Washington's partial unemployment system really does work for part-time workers! The key thing that helped me was understanding that you're essentially getting paid the difference between what you're earning and what your full benefit would be. So even though you're still working, you're getting compensated for those lost hours. One tip I haven't seen mentioned yet - when you're filling out your weekly claims online, there's a section where you can add notes about your work situation. I always included details like "worked 12 hours this week instead of usual 30+ due to employer hour reduction" just to be super clear about why my earnings were low. It seemed to help prevent any confusion or delays in processing. Also, don't stress too much about the job search requirement while you're working part-time - you can count activities like updating your resume, browsing job boards, or even talking to your current employer about picking up additional shifts at other locations if they have them. The system is designed to help people in exactly your situation, so definitely take advantage of it!

This thread has been incredibly informative! I'm new to this community but facing a similar situation - I work part-time at a grocery store and just got notice that my hours are being cut from about 28 hours per week down to maybe 12-15 hours starting next month due to overstaffing. I had no idea that partial unemployment was even an option in Washington! Reading through everyone's experiences and advice has been so helpful. The breakdown of the earnings formula, the importance of accurate reporting, and all the practical tips about documentation and the application process are exactly what I needed to know. I'm feeling much more confident about filing when my hours actually get reduced. One question I have - for those who've been through this, how quickly did you typically see your first payment after filing? I'm trying to budget for the transition period. Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge and making this feel much less overwhelming!

New member here but I've been reading through this entire thread and wow, what an incredibly helpful discussion! I'm actually facing almost the exact same situation as the OP - I work part-time at a retail clothing store and just found out my hours are getting slashed from around 25 hours per week down to maybe 10 hours starting in January due to post-holiday slowdown. I had absolutely no idea that partial unemployment benefits were even a thing in Washington state! This whole conversation has been so educational. The detailed explanations about the earnings formula, the importance of reporting gross wages accurately, keeping detailed documentation, and all the practical filing tips have given me a roadmap for when I need to navigate this process myself. I'm especially grateful for the advice about filing as soon as the hour reduction actually happens rather than waiting to see if things improve. It sounds like Washington ESD's system is actually designed to help people in situations like ours, which is reassuring. I'm definitely going to bookmark this thread and refer back to it when I file my claim next month. Thank you everyone for being so generous with sharing your experiences and knowledge - this community seems amazing for getting real-world advice about dealing with unemployment issues in Washington!