Can you get unemployment if you have two jobs in Washington state?

That's good to know! Do I need to get anything from my employers or can I just apply online?

You can apply online at esd.wa.gov. You'll need your employers' names, addresses, and dates of employment. Washington ESD will contact your employers directly to verify the information.

How do they calculate the weekly benefit amount when you have multiple employers?

They look at all your wages from all employers during your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 quarters). It's based on your highest earning quarter.

4 weeks?? I need money now though. Is there any way to speed it up?

Not really, but you should still apply ASAP. The benefits are retroactive to when you first became eligible, so you won't lose money by waiting.

Actually there is a way to get through to Washington ESD faster if you need to check on your claim status. I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Really helped when I was stuck in adjudication.

That's a common misconception. Washington state allows partial unemployment benefits if your hours or wages are reduced, even if you're still working.

yeah i got partial benefits when my restaurant cut my shifts during slow season. still had to do the job search requirements though which was annoying

So I'd need to be looking for a third job while working these two?

Not necessarily a third job, but you need to show you're actively seeking work that could replace your part-time income with full-time employment. The job search log requirements are the same.

This is exactly why the system is broken. You're punishing people for working!

How do you keep track of everything? This seems really complicated.

I keep a simple spreadsheet with dates, hours worked at each job, and gross pay. Makes it easy when filing the weekly claim.

Both of my jobs are just reduced hours, not layoffs. Does that make a difference?

Yes, that's just regular part-time work then. Standby is specifically when you're temporarily separated but expect to return within a certain timeframe.

What's the earnings disregard? I keep seeing that term but don't understand it.

It's the amount you can earn without it affecting your unemployment benefits. In Washington, the first $5 of weekly earnings doesn't count, then they reduce your benefit by the amount you earn above that.

I had the same problem until someone told me about Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to ESD agents without waiting on hold. Worth checking out if you need to talk to someone.

Is that legit? Sounds too good to be true.

Yeah it's real. They basically automate the calling process for you. Saved me hours of frustration when I needed to resolve an issue with my claim.

My schedules don't really conflict since both jobs are pretty flexible. Should I mention that in my application?

Yes, definitely. Being flexible and available for additional work helps your case for partial benefits.

Where do I find the federal ID numbers?

Should be on your pay stubs or W-2 forms. If you don't have them, the application will still go through but might take longer to process.

I agree but that's not going to help OP right now. Better to work within the system as it exists.

True, but it's still worth pointing out how broken this all is.

What do you mean by building up benefit weeks?

Your unemployment claim establishes a benefit year with a maximum number of weeks you can collect. Even if you're only getting partial benefits now, those weeks are available if you become fully unemployed later.

Any tips for organizing the records?

I used a simple notebook - date, job, hours, gross pay. Took like 30 seconds each day but saved me when I had questions about my claim later.

Good point. I'll apply this week. Thanks everyone for all the helpful info!

If you run into any issues with the claim or need to talk to someone at Washington ESD, definitely check out that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier. Made a huge difference when I needed help.