Can unemployment benefits continue if I start part-time work in Washington?

Yes, you can work part-time and still collect partial unemployment benefits in Washington! You just need to report your earnings on your weekly claim. Washington ESD will reduce your benefit amount based on what you earn, but you won't lose everything. The formula is basically your weekly benefit amount minus 75% of your gross earnings for that week.

Just make sure you report EVERYTHING accurately on your weekly claims. I made the mistake of forgetting to report some cash work I did and ended up with an overpayment notice months later. Washington ESD doesn't mess around with unreported income.

If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD to ask questions about working while on unemployment, I had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual agent. They have this system that calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Really helped when I had questions about my part-time work situation.

The part-time work thing is actually pretty straightforward once you understand it. You're still considered unemployed if you're working less than full-time hours and earning less than your weekly benefit amount plus $5. So taking that part-time job shouldn't disqualify you completely.

I've been working part-time while collecting unemployment for 3 months now. The key is being 100% honest about your hours and earnings. They have formulas that calculate your partial benefit automatically when you file your weekly claim online.

Just took a part-time gig myself last week and was worried about the same thing. Filed my weekly claim yesterday and it went through fine with reduced benefits. The system calculated everything automatically once I entered my hours and gross pay.

BE CAREFUL about your job search log though! You still need to keep looking for full-time work and document your activities. Some people think having a part-time job means they can slack on the job search requirements but that's not true.

This whole system is so complicated. Why can't they just make it simple - if you work, you don't get benefits. If you don't work, you do. All these calculations and partial this and partial that just creates more room for mistakes.

I used Claimyr a few weeks ago when I had questions about this exact situation. Got through to a Washington ESD rep in like 20 minutes instead of the usual 2+ hour wait times. The rep explained the whole part-time work calculation really clearly. Worth trying if you need official clarification.

One thing to watch out for - if your part-time work turns into more hours or they offer you full-time, you need to report that change immediately. Don't wait until your next weekly claim to update Washington ESD about significant changes in your work situation.

Been there! Working part-time while on unemployment actually helped me transition back to full-time work. It kept me in a work routine and gave me recent job experience to talk about in interviews. Plus the extra income really helped with bills.

Just remember the 75% rule - they subtract 75% of your gross earnings from your weekly benefit amount. So if you make $400 that week, they subtract $300 from your benefit. Simple math but important to understand.

For what it's worth, I tried calling Washington ESD directly about this same question and gave up after 3 hours on hold. Ended up finding most of my answers on their website, but talking to a real person would have been better. Might try that Claimyr thing people mentioned.

UPDATE: I took the part-time job and everything worked out fine! Been working for 2 weeks now and my partial benefits are coming through as expected. The online system calculated everything correctly when I reported my earnings. Thanks everyone for the advice!