Can you get unemployment and still work part-time in Washington?

Yes, you can work part-time and still collect unemployment benefits in Washington! You just need to report all your earnings when you file your weekly claim. Washington ESD has a partial benefit formula that reduces your weekly benefit amount based on how much you earn, but you can still get some benefits as long as you earn less than your weekly benefit amount plus $5.

Been doing this for months. You can work up to your weekly benefit amount plus $5 and still get something. Like if your weekly benefit is $400, you can earn up to $405 and still get partial benefits. Anything over that and you get $0 for that week.

Just make sure you're still actively looking for full-time work and meeting the job search requirements. You need to be able and available for work, which means you can't turn down suitable full-time job offers just because you have part-time work.

I was in a similar situation and had trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask about the part-time work rules. If you need to talk to someone directly about your specific situation, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to ESD agents without waiting on hold forever. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

The key thing is ALWAYS report your earnings honestly. Even if it's just $50 from odd jobs, report it. Washington ESD will find out eventually and then you'll have an overpayment issue to deal with.

Also remember you still need to be available for full-time work. If your part-time schedule conflicts with potential full-time job interviews or prevents you from accepting full-time work, that could be an issue.

Wait I'm confused about the math. If I earn $100 and my weekly benefit is $300, what do I get?

This is why the unemployment system is so confusing! They should make this stuff clearer on their website.

I work part-time and collect benefits. Just be honest about your hours and earnings. The system is set up to encourage people to take some work while looking for full-time employment.

One thing to watch out for - if you work more than your usual full-time hours in a week, they might question whether you're truly available for work. But 15-20 hours should be fine.

Make sure you understand what 'suitable work' means too. If someone offers you a full-time job that pays similar to your previous job, you generally can't turn it down to keep your part-time gig and unemployment.

The restaurant industry is tough right now. Good luck with your job search! At least you can get some income while you're looking.

I had issues with my part-time work reporting getting stuck in adjudication. Took forever to resolve. If that happens to you, that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier might help you get through to talk to an actual person at ESD.

Don't forget about job search requirements. You still need to do your job searches every week even if you're working part-time. Keep good records of your applications and contacts.

The Washington ESD website has a calculator for partial benefits if you want to figure out exactly what you'll get with different earning amounts. It's under the 'Calculate Benefits' section.

Bottom line - you can work part-time and collect unemployment, just be honest about everything. Report your earnings, keep looking for full-time work, and you should be fine.