How high is unemployment in Washington right now - worried about my chances

The unemployment rate and your ability to get benefits are two different things. If you were laid off and meet the work requirements, you should definitely file your claim regardless of the current rate. Washington ESD processes claims based on your individual eligibility, not on how many other people are filing.

I filed my claim about 3 weeks ago and it's been pretty smooth so far. My weekly claims are getting paid on time. The system seems to be working better than it was during the pandemic.

I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for days about my adjudication issue and can't reach anyone. If you need to actually talk to someone, good luck with that. The phone system is still terrible.

The current unemployment rate doesn't really affect your individual claim processing. What matters is whether you meet the eligibility requirements - like having enough work history and being separated from your job through no fault of your own. Manufacturing layoffs usually qualify as long as you weren't fired for misconduct.

honestly the rates go up and down but if you need benefits just file, worrying about statistics wont help pay your bills

One thing to keep in mind is that you'll need to start looking for work right away and keep a job search log. Washington ESD requires you to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and be ready to provide documentation if they ask for it.

I've been on unemployment twice in the past 5 years and the rate never mattered for my individual claim. What matters is having your paperwork ready and being honest about your work search efforts.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS A JOKE ANYWAY! They make you jump through hoops while you're already stressed about losing your job. But yeah file anyway because you paid into it.

Just file ASAP because there's a waiting week and you want to get the process started. Even if unemployment is high or low, your benefits are based on your own work history and wages from the past year or so.

Update on my situation - I finally got through to Washington ESD using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Took about 20 minutes but I actually talked to a real person who helped resolve my adjudication issue. Definitely worth trying if you're stuck.

i remember when unemployment was way higher a few years back and claims were taking forever but now its pretty normal timing from what i hear

One more thing - make sure you understand the difference between the state unemployment rate (which is a statistic) and your individual claim eligibility. The rate measures how many people are actively looking for work versus how many have jobs. Your claim approval depends on your specific work history and reason for separation.

File your claim today if you can. The sooner you start the process the sooner you might get benefits. Don't wait around analyzing unemployment statistics.

Also remember that your benefit amount is calculated based on your past wages, not on current unemployment rates. So even if a lot of people are filing claims, it doesn't affect how much you'll get if approved.

been there done that, just file the claim and deal with whatever comes up later, no point in worrying about stuff you cant control

Final advice - gather your employment information (dates, employer details, reason for separation) before you start the online application. Having everything ready will make the process much smoother. And remember, you can always come back here if you run into specific issues with your claim.

One last thing - if you do need to contact Washington ESD by phone later and can't get through the regular way, that Claimyr service people mentioned really does work. I used it when I had questions about my weekly claim and it saved me hours of frustration.

same boat as you last month, filed online and got approved pretty quickly despite all my worrying about unemployment rates and stuff