Does collecting unemployment affect you in Washington ESD long term?

No, collecting unemployment benefits won't affect your credit score at all. It's not a loan or debt, it's insurance you paid into through your payroll taxes. As for background checks, most employers can't see your unemployment history unless you're applying for a government job that requires extensive screening.

I've been collecting UI on and off for years (construction work) and it's never affected me getting hired anywhere. The only thing that might show up is if you're applying for a federal job or something that requires a security clearance, but even then it's not necessarily a problem.

The only real 'effect' is that you'll owe taxes on the benefits at the end of the year if you didn't have them withhold taxes. But other than that, no long-term consequences at all.

I was actually stressed about this same thing when I first started collecting. I ended up using Claimyr to get through to an Washington ESD agent to ask about it directly. They confirmed what everyone else is saying - it doesn't affect your credit or show up on most background checks. The service made it so much easier to actually talk to someone instead of waiting on hold forever. Check out their demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ if you want to see how it works.

honestly the biggest effect is just the peace of mind knowing you have some income while job hunting. I wish I hadn't waited so long to file when I first got laid off

The only time it might 'affect' you is if you're collecting benefits and then get a job offer. You need to report that income to Washington ESD right away or you could get in trouble for overpayment.

I've collected unemployment 3 different times over the past 10 years and never had any issues. Got hired at good companies each time, no questions asked about my unemployment history.

The only negative effect I can think of is if you get too comfortable on unemployment and stop looking for work seriously. But that's more of a personal discipline thing than a system problem.

I actually think collecting unemployment made me a better candidate because I used the time to take some online courses and improve my skills. Employers seemed to appreciate that I was being productive during my job search.

Don't let anyone make you feel bad about collecting unemployment either. You paid into this system through your payroll taxes, so you earned these benefits. There's absolutely nothing wrong with using them when you need them.

The biggest positive effect for me was being able to be selective about job offers instead of taking the first thing that came along out of desperation. Led to a much better job match.

Just make sure you keep up with your weekly claims and job search requirements. The only way it could affect you negatively is if you mess up the paperwork or don't follow the rules.

One thing to consider is that if you have a gap in your resume, you can honestly say you were actively job searching during that time. It's not like you were just sitting around doing nothing.

I had a friend who was worried about the same thing and ended up calling Washington ESD through some service called Claimyr because he couldn't get through the regular phone lines. They told him the same thing everyone's saying here - no long-term effects on credit or employment background checks.

The system is designed to help people during temporary unemployment, not to punish them later. If it affected people negatively, it would defeat the whole purpose of having unemployment insurance.

I think some people confuse unemployment with welfare or other assistance programs. Unemployment is insurance you earned through working and paying taxes. Completely different thing.

The only advice I'd give is to keep good records of everything - your job search activities, any correspondence with Washington ESD, etc. Just in case you ever need to prove you were following the rules.

Bottom line: collecting unemployment when you're eligible won't hurt you. It's there to help people get back on their feet, not to create problems for them later.

I actually got a better job after collecting unemployment than I had before. Used the time to network and really think about what I wanted to do next. Sometimes getting laid off is a blessing in disguise.

Just remember that you're not alone in this. Millions of people collect unemployment every year and go on to have successful careers. It's a normal part of the working world these days.