Can you collect unemployment and work at the same time in Washington?

Yes, you can work part-time and still collect unemployment in Washington, but you MUST report all earnings on your weekly claim. Washington ESD will deduct your earnings from your weekly benefit amount using a specific formula. If you earn more than 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount, you won't get any unemployment for that week.

I've been doing this for 3 months. The key is being honest about your earnings when you file your weekly claim. Don't try to hide income - Washington ESD will find out eventually and you'll have to pay back overpayments plus penalties.

I was struggling with this same issue last month - couldn't get through to Washington ESD to get a clear answer. Finally used Claimyr.com to connect with an agent who explained the whole process. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Way easier than sitting on hold for hours.

MAKE SURE you're still meeting your job search requirements even if you're working part-time! I almost got disqualified because I thought working part-time meant I didn't need to keep looking for full-time work. Washington ESD expects you to keep searching for suitable full-time employment.

The earnings deduction formula is: Weekly Benefit Amount minus (Gross Earnings minus $5). So if your WBA is $350 and you earn $150 that week, you'd get $205 in unemployment ($350 - ($150 - $5) = $205). But if you earn more than 1.5 times your WBA, you get nothing that week.

been working part time for 6 weeks now while on unemployment. no issues as long as you report everything. the system calculates it automatically when you file your weekly claim

I'm doing gig work through apps while collecting. Same rules apply - report ALL income including tips and cash payments. Washington ESD gets tax records so they'll know if you don't report something.

One more thing - if your part-time job turns into full-time or you start earning enough that you're not getting any unemployment benefits for several weeks, you might want to close your claim. You can always reopen it later if your hours get cut.

The system is actually pretty fair about part-time work. My friend was afraid to take a part-time job thinking it would hurt her benefits, but it actually helped her financially even with the reduced unemployment.

If you need to talk to someone at Washington ESD about your specific situation, I'd recommend using Claimyr again. Much faster than calling directly and they help you get through to the right department.

IMPORTANT: Make sure your part-time employer knows you're collecting unemployment. Some employers don't like hiring people on UI because of the paperwork, but it's perfectly legal.

Keep records of everything! Your pay stubs, hours worked, when you reported earnings. If there's ever a question about your claim, you'll need documentation.

The Washington ESD website has a good calculator that shows how part-time earnings affect your benefits. Look for the 'earnings deduction calculator' in the resources section.

dont forget you might be eligible for working connections child care assistance if you have kids and are working part time while on unemployment. worth looking into

I tried to work part-time but the job didn't work out. When I stopped working, I just went back to filing regular weekly claims. No need to reapply for unemployment if you're still within your benefit year.

Make sure the part-time work doesn't interfere with your availability for full-time work. If you can only work certain hours because of your part-time job, that might affect your benefits.

Been there! Working part-time while on unemployment actually helped me transition back to full-time work. Kept my skills sharp and gave me current references.

The Washington ESD mobile app makes it easy to file your weekly claims when you're working. You can do it on your lunch break or whenever.

Bottom line: be honest, report everything, keep good records, and you'll be fine. Thousands of people in Washington work part-time while collecting unemployment without any issues.

Just remember that if you have any specific questions about your situation, Claimyr can help you get through to a real person at Washington ESD who can give you official answers. Way better than guessing or getting wrong info.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure you understand what happens during holiday weeks or if your part-time job has irregular scheduling. I work retail part-time while on unemployment and some weeks I get zero hours, other weeks I might get 25+ hours. The key is just being accurate with whatever you actually earned each week when you file your claim. Also, if you're in a job that pays tips (like food service), make sure to report ALL tips including cash ones - Washington ESD considers tips as wages for benefit calculation purposes.