ESD telephone system keeps routing me to automated line - can't reach a real person

ugh same problem last week!! the automated system is DESIGNED to keep u from reaching a human. try calling right when they open at 8am sharp, that worked for me once but took like 20 tries over 3 days

The ESD phone system is definitely frustrating. Based on my experience, here's what works best: 1. Call exactly at 8:00 am (not 8:01, not 7:59) 2. When the automated system answers, press 1, then 2, then wait for the next menu 3. Then press 1 again when it asks about claim questions 4. If it starts giving you automated information, hang up and try again It took me 4 days of trying this method before I got through. Also, Thursdays and Fridays seem to have slightly lower call volumes in my experience. The key is persistence and timing.

I've been dealing with ESD for years and honestly their phone system is the WORST it's ever been right now. Try calling from a different phone number if you can - I swear they flag numbers that call too many times and just route them straight to the automated system. Also their busiest days are Monday and Tuesday so avoid those if possible.

Have you tried using Claimyr? It worked for me when I couldn't get through for weeks. They basically connect you directly to an ESD agent and bypass the whole phone tree nightmare. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 I was skeptical at first but I got connected to an actual ESD agent in about 25 minutes after trying unsuccessfully for days on my own. The agent was able to fix my adjudication issue right away. Just sharing what worked for me because I know how stressful it is when your benefits are on hold.

I work with unemployment claimants professionally, and the phone system challenges are unfortunately very common right now. Here's what you need to know: - ESD's system prioritizes callers based on several factors including claim status - If you have a pending adjudication or disqualification, try selecting option 4 in the main menu rather than option 2 - Calling Wednesday between 10-11am often has the lowest wait times based on my clients' experiences - If your claim is in adjudication, calling won't actually speed up the process in most cases One important thing: make sure you're continuing to file your weekly claims even while trying to reach someone. Missing weekly claims can create bigger problems than whatever issue you're calling about.

The ESD phone system is BROKEN BY DESIGN!!! They don't WANT you to reach a human because then they'd have to actually help people. I've been fighting with them for 2 months over an overpayment notice that THEY caused by miscalculating my hours. Every single government system in this state is designed to fail the people who need it most. And don't get me started on their "eServices" site that crashes every Sunday night when everyone's trying to file their weekly claim!

Update for anyone finding this thread: I called ESD this morning and finally got through to a representative after about a 45-minute wait. The agent confirmed they're experiencing extremely high call volumes right now due to some recent system changes. They recommended using the online message center in eServices for most issues rather than calling. Apparently messages are currently being responded to within 3-5 business days, which is actually faster than getting through by phone for many issues. For those who absolutely need to speak to someone by phone, they said their lowest call volumes are currently Wednesday and Thursday afternoons between 2-4pm.

UPDATE: I finally got through! For anyone having the same problem, here's what worked: I called exactly at 8:00am, pressed 1 for English, then 3 for questions about an existing claim, then 2 for all other questions. I was put on hold for about 35 minutes but finally got a real person! They fixed my issue in about 10 minutes. Just wanted to update in case someone else finds this thread with the same problem. Persistence is key!