Can you receive unemployment while working part-time in Washington?

Yes, you can absolutely receive unemployment while working part-time in Washington! You just need to report all your earnings when you file your weekly claims. Washington ESD has what's called 'partial unemployment' - they'll reduce your benefit amount based on what you earn, but you can still get benefits as long as you're working less than full-time and earning less than your weekly benefit amount plus $5.

Just make sure you report EVERYTHING honestly on your weekly claims. I made the mistake of not reporting some cash work I did and got hit with an overpayment notice months later. Washington ESD crosschecks with employers so they'll find out eventually.

I was in a similar situation last year - got partial unemployment while working reduced hours. The key thing is you still need to be actively looking for full-time work and meet all the other requirements. You can't just coast on partial benefits forever. Also, make sure your part-time employer knows you're available for more hours if they have them.

I struggled with this same situation and couldn't get through to Washington ESD for weeks to ask questions. Finally found this service called Claimyr that actually got me connected to an agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Made it so much easier to get my questions answered about working while on unemployment.

Here's the specific rule from Washington ESD: if you work less than full-time and earn less than your weekly benefit amount plus $5, you can get partial unemployment. They calculate it by taking your weekly benefit amount, subtracting what you earned (minus the first $5), and that's your partial payment. So if your weekly benefit is $400 and you earn $200, you'd get $205 in unemployment ($400 - $195).

Been doing this for months now. Just remember to keep track of your hours worked too, not just earnings. They ask for both on the weekly claim form. And if you work more than 32 hours in a week, you might not be eligible for that week even if you didn't earn much.

UGH the Washington ESD system is so confusing! I've been trying to figure this out for weeks and keep getting different answers. Why can't they just make it simple - working means no benefits, not working means benefits. All these partial payment calculations make my head spin.

Make sure you understand the difference between being 'able and available' for work vs being on standby status. If you're working part-time at a different employer than where you got laid off, you're probably just doing regular partial unemployment. But if your original employer is giving you reduced hours and might call you back, that could be standby which has different rules.

I tried calling Washington ESD about this exact question last month and was on hold for 3 hours before getting disconnected. Then I found Claimyr and actually got through to someone who explained everything clearly. Definitely worth checking out if you need to talk to an actual person about your specific situation.

One thing nobody mentioned - make sure your part-time job doesn't interfere with your availability for other work. If you can only work Tuesday mornings because of your part-time schedule, that might affect your eligibility since you need to be available for suitable full-time work.

Just went through this whole process myself. The key is being completely honest on your weekly claims and keeping good records of your hours and earnings. I created a simple spreadsheet to track everything week by week. Made it much easier when I had questions about my payments.

The Washington ESD handbook has all this info but it's buried in like 50 pages of dense text. Basically you can work and collect partial benefits, you just need to report everything accurately. Don't overthink it - thousands of people do this every week without problems.

Been collecting partial unemployment for 6 months now while working part-time. Never had any issues as long as I report everything honestly. The extra income from partial benefits plus part-time work actually helped me stay afloat while looking for full-time employment. Don't let anyone tell you it's wrong or cheating the system - it's exactly what the program is designed for.

Word of advice - don't mention to your part-time employer that you're collecting unemployment unless you have to. Some employers get weird about it even though it's perfectly legal. Just do your job well and keep your personal finances private.

I used Claimyr twice when I had questions about my partial unemployment claim. First time was to understand the earnings calculation, second time was when my payments seemed wrong. Both times the agent was super helpful and cleared everything up quickly. Definitely recommend if you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD directly.

Bottom line - yes you can work part-time and collect unemployment in Washington. Report your earnings honestly, keep looking for full-time work, and don't stress about it. The system is designed to help people transition back to full employment, not trap them in poverty while they job hunt.

This is exactly the situation I was in a few months ago! Working part-time while collecting unemployment actually ended up being a great bridge while I searched for full-time work. One thing I learned that might help - when you file your weekly claims online, there's a section specifically for reporting part-time work. It walks you through exactly what to enter for hours and earnings, so you don't have to guess at the calculations. The system does all the math for you based on your weekly benefit amount. Just make sure you have your pay stubs handy when you file each week to get the numbers right.