Do you still get unemployment benefits if you get a job in Washington?

You can still get partial unemployment benefits in Washington if your new job doesn't pay enough. You need to report ALL work and earnings on your weekly claim even if it's just one day. Washington ESD will calculate if you're eligible for partial benefits based on your earnings.

ALWAYS report your work! I made the mistake of not reporting a few days of temp work thinking it wouldn't matter and Washington ESD hit me with an overpayment notice months later. Cost me way more than just being honest from the start.

I had trouble reaching Washington ESD to ask about this exact situation. The phone lines are always busy and I kept getting disconnected. Finally found Claimyr (claimyr.com) which helped me get through to an actual agent who explained how partial benefits work. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

The partial benefit calculation is: (Weekly Benefit Amount + $5) - Gross Earnings = Partial Payment. So if your weekly benefit is $400 and you earn $200, you'd get $205 that week ($400 + $5 - $200 = $205).

Just make sure you're still doing your job search activities too! Even with part-time work you usually need to keep looking for full-time employment and log your job contacts.

I've been working part-time and collecting partial benefits for 2 months now. No issues as long as you report everything accurately on your weekly claim. Don't try to hide any income!

this happened to me too but i forgot to report work one week and they caught it anyway, had to do a phone interview to explain

Since a few people asked about Claimyr - I used it twice now when I needed to talk to Washington ESD about my partial benefits situation. First time was to clarify the earnings rules, second time was when they questioned some of my work reporting. Both times got connected to agents quickly instead of spending hours on hold.

The key thing is Washington ESD wants you to work! They'd rather give you partial benefits while you transition to full employment than have you turn down work to keep full benefits. Just be honest about everything.

What if the part-time job turns into full-time? Do you just stop filing weekly claims at that point?

I'm in a similar situation but with a freelance job. Same rules apply - report all income even if it's irregular self-employment income. Washington ESD will calculate partial benefits based on what you report.

Been there! The weekly claim form asks specifically about work and earnings. Answer honestly and let Washington ESD do the math. Better to get partial benefits than risk an overpayment investigation later.

One more thing - if you get confused about any of this, the Washington ESD website has a partial benefits calculator. It's not perfect but gives you an idea of what to expect.

My sister went through this exact situation last year. Key points: report all work, keep looking for full-time employment, and don't stress too much about the calculations - Washington ESD figures that part out.

Just want to emphasize what others have said - NEVER hide income from Washington ESD. They cross-reference with employers and tax records. It's not worth trying to game the system.

If anyone else needs to talk to Washington ESD about partial benefits or work reporting, that Claimyr service mentioned earlier really does work. Used it last month when I had questions about how my seasonal work would affect my benefits.