Can you work while collecting unemployment benefits in Washington?

That's a relief! Do you know how much they reduce it by? Like if I make $200 in a week, how much would my unemployment be cut?

They have a formula - basically they subtract 75% of your gross earnings from your weekly benefit amount. So if you normally get $487 and earn $200, they'd subtract $150 (75% of $200) leaving you with $337 in unemployment benefits.

Good point, I definitely don't want to deal with overpayment issues. When do I report the earnings - the week I worked or the week I got paid?

Report it for the week you actually worked, not when you got paid. So if you work Monday-Friday, report those earnings on the weekly claim for that week.

This is so helpful! I was worried they'd think I wasn't serious about finding full-time work if I took part-time jobs.

Not at all! Washington ESD actually encourages people to take part-time work while looking for full-time positions. Just keep documenting your job search activities in WorkSourceWA.

Oh wow, I didn't know there were services to help get through to Washington ESD! How does it work?

Basically they handle the calling and waiting for you, then connect you when an agent is available. Way better than sitting on hold for hours yourself.

That sounds too good to be true... how much does something like that cost?

I thought the same thing at first, but it's legitimate. The value is definitely worth it when you need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD about complicated stuff like partial unemployment.

Nope! Washington has partial unemployment benefits. As long as you're working less than full-time and earning less than your weekly benefit amount plus $5, you can still qualify for reduced benefits.

damn wish I knew this months ago, I turned down some gig work thinking it would mess up my claim

So in my case with $487 weekly benefits, I could earn up to $492 and still get something from unemployment?

Exactly! But at that point you'd probably only get like $5-10 in unemployment benefits, so it might not be worth the hassle of filing the weekly claim.

Good reminder! I'm still required to apply for jobs and do the WorkSourceWA activities, right?

Yes, all the normal job search requirements still apply. You need to be able and available for full-time work, which means being ready to quit the part-time job if you get a full-time offer.

That's a great perspective! I hadn't thought about the networking aspect.

Same here! My part-time retail job helped me stay sharp with customer service skills and gave me something current to talk about in interviews.

Oh good catch! I would have probably reported my net pay. So if I earned $200 gross but only got $160 after taxes, I report $200?

Exactly! Always report gross earnings. Washington ESD bases their calculations on what you earned before any deductions.

Most employers understand that people on unemployment might take part-time work. It's completely legal and Washington ESD encourages it. If they have questions, you can explain that it's called partial unemployment.

I told my part-time boss upfront that I was collecting unemployment and looking for full-time work. They were totally fine with it and actually appreciated the honesty.

Good point! I should probably ask upfront about typical hours so I can plan my budget.

Yeah, and remember that even if you earn too much one week to get unemployment, you can still get benefits the following week if your earnings go back down.

Oh perfect! I'll check that out before I make my decision. Thanks for the tip!

Just search for 'partial unemployment calculator' on the Washington ESD site. Super helpful tool.

That's smart! Gig work gives you more flexibility for interviews too since you control your schedule.

Exactly! Plus you can work more when you need extra money and less when you have lots of interviews lined up.

Yikes! I'll definitely be super careful about reporting everything accurately.

Yeah, they cross-check with employers and tax records. Better to overreport than underreport if you're not sure about an amount.

That's probably smart - getting the official word directly from Washington ESD. I might look into that service too.

I used Claimyr too for a different issue. Really convenient when you need to actually talk to someone instead of trying to figure things out from the website.

Good reminder about the varying hours! I'll make sure to track everything carefully week by week.

Yeah the weekly claim form is pretty straightforward - just answer the questions honestly about your work and earnings for that specific week.

Thanks everyone! This has been super helpful. I feel much more confident about taking this part-time job now.

Good luck with the new job! Part-time work can be a great bridge while you're looking for something full-time.

Definitely keeping that in mind! Better to get the right information upfront than deal with problems later.