How many hours can I work and still get Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

Thanks! Do you know what the formula is? I want to make sure I understand it before I take any job.

They subtract your gross earnings from your weekly benefit amount, but there's also a small earnings disregard. I think it's around $5 per week you can earn without any reduction, then they reduce your benefits dollar-for-dollar after that.

So it's more about the money I make than the actual hours? That makes more sense I guess.

Exactly. I work 30 hours at minimum wage and still get partial UI because my earnings are below my weekly benefit amount.

This is helpful! I was worried about hitting some kind of hour limit.

Good to know I need to report everything. I don't want to get in trouble for not reporting hours.

That's what I'm worried about! The job would probably be around 20-25 hours a week. Do you think that would be okay?

yeah 20-25 hours should be fine as long as you're still looking for full time work and available for interviews

How does that work exactly? I've been trying to call for weeks with no luck.

They basically handle the calling process for you so you don't have to sit on hold forever or keep getting disconnected. Worth checking out the demo video.

Never heard of this but anything is better than trying to call Washington ESD directly.

That's reassuring. I was scared I'd accidentally work too much and lose everything.

Same here, the fear of messing up keeps me awake at night honestly.

Sorry, I was just confused by how it all works. Thanks for clarifying though.

No need to yell but yes, you're absolutely right. It's a common misconception.

How much do partial benefits usually end up being? Like if I make $200 in a week, how much would my unemployment be reduced?

It depends on your weekly benefit amount, but generally they subtract most of your earnings from your benefit. So if your WBA is $487 and you earn $200, you'd probably get around $282 in unemployment that week (after the small earnings disregard).

You might want to check with Washington ESD about that. Working 35 hours a week could potentially affect your 'able and available' status for unemployment benefits.

Oh no, I've been doing this for 6 weeks now. Should I call them? I don't want to get in trouble for an overpayment.

Definitely call them or you could use that Claimyr service the other person mentioned to get through faster. Better to clarify now than deal with overpayment issues later.

I totally agree! It's like they don't want you to work at all. The whole system seems designed to keep you dependent on benefits instead of encouraging part-time work while job searching.

EXACTLY! And good luck getting anyone on the phone to explain it. I've called 47 times in the past two weeks and gotten through once, only to be told they'd call me back. Spoiler alert: they never did.

This is super helpful! So if I work 20 hours at $15/hour, that's $300 gross. Minus $5 = $295. So my $487 benefit would be reduced to $192 that week?

That's correct! You'd receive $192 in unemployment benefits plus your $300 in wages, for a total of $492 that week. Just make sure you're still actively job searching and available for full-time opportunities.

Perfect! That actually works out better than I thought. Thank you so much for breaking it down clearly.

Good point about the job search requirement. I need to keep doing that too.

Yeah, don't forget about your job search activities or you could get disqualified.

That's a great example. Commission work must make this even more complicated.

It can be, but as long as you report your actual earnings each week, Washington ESD handles the math.

Good point! I've been keeping track of my job search activities in a spreadsheet. Do I need to keep doing 3 activities per week even with part-time work?

yes, the job search requirements don't change just because you're working part time. you still need to do the minimum required activities each week

Thanks for mentioning that. I am definitely available for full-time work, this part-time thing is just temporary.

This is why I love these forums, people always add helpful details like this.

Agreed, their website explanations are terrible.

They do have examples but they're buried in the handbook somewhere. Not very user friendly.

Good advice. I'll start keeping better track of everything.

I use a simple spreadsheet to track everything. Saves me so much time on Sunday when I file my claim.

That's a good point I hadn't considered. What if they offer me full-time hours but the pay is significantly less than what I was making before?

There are rules about what constitutes 'suitable work' based on your previous wages and experience. If the full-time offer is substantially lower pay than your previous job, you might be able to refuse it, but you'd need to discuss that with Washington ESD.

You report based on when the work was performed, not when you got paid. So yes, report the hours for the week you actually worked.

That makes sense, thanks for clarifying.

Oh wow, that sounds scary! How did you resolve the audit issue?

I had to provide payroll records and explain the discrepancy. Luckily it was just a rounding error, but it took weeks to resolve. Always report exact hours and earnings - don't round anything.

That's a really good perspective! I was worried that taking part-time work would hurt my chances of finding full-time work, but you're right that it might actually help.

Exactly! And if the part-time employer likes you, they might offer you full-time hours or at least give you a good reference for other jobs.

Don't panic yet! If you were reporting everything honestly and thought you were following the rules, they'll take that into consideration. The fact that you called to clarify shows good faith.

I hope so. I've been reporting all my hours and earnings, I just didn't realize there might be an issue with working too many hours. This is so stressful.

If you need to talk to someone at ESD about your case, definitely consider using Claimyr. I mentioned it earlier but it really helped me get through when I had questions about my claim. Much better than trying to call repeatedly.

THANK YOU! Finally someone who gets it. They want you to work but make it impossible to understand how working affects your benefits. It's like they're setting people up to fail.

I understand the frustration, but the system is actually designed to encourage part-time work while job searching. The problem is that the information isn't always clearly communicated to claimants.

Good luck with the job! Just remember to keep detailed records of your hours and earnings in case you ever need them for reference.

Definitely will do! I'm going to keep a spreadsheet with dates, hours, and earnings for each week.

smart idea! and don't forget to keep tracking your job search activities too

Good point about timing! I file my weekly claims on Sundays. So I should report the earnings from the previous Sunday through Saturday?

Exactly! Report earnings for the week you're claiming benefits for, not the week you received the paycheck. The dates matter for accurate reporting.

Seasonal work is treated the same as any other part-time work for unemployment purposes. You'd report your hours and earnings each week, and your benefits would be reduced accordingly.

Thanks! I wasn't sure if there were different rules for seasonal or temporary work.

That's encouraging to hear! How many hours per week do you typically work?

Usually around 15-20 hours. Some weeks more, some weeks less depending on their needs. I just report whatever I actually worked each week.

You should report unpaid work activities to Washington ESD. Even though you're not earning money, it could affect your 'able and available' status if it interferes with your job search or availability for work.

Thanks! I'll make sure to report it when I file my weekly claim.

Yes, all self-employment income including gig work must be reported on your weekly claims. Keep track of your gross earnings from all gig work activities.

Good to know! I'll make sure to keep detailed records if I start doing deliveries.

Same here! I was so confused about the rules before reading everyone's responses. This has been really helpful.

Right? I wish Washington ESD made this information clearer on their website. It shouldn't be so hard to understand the basic rules.

I didn't know they had a calculator! I'll definitely check that out before I start working.

It's buried pretty deep in their website, but it's there. Just search for 'partial benefit calculator' or something similar.

Absolutely! And if you can't get through by calling normally, that Claimyr service really does work. I was skeptical at first but it saved me hours of calling.

I might try Claimyr if I have specific questions about my situation. Thanks for the recommendation!

Seems like a lot of people have had success with that service. Might be worth trying if I have more questions.

Same experience here. Claimyr saved me hours of trying to get through to Washington ESD.

You're right, I was definitely overthinking it. Thanks for putting it simply.

Sometimes the simple explanation is the best one.

Good to know I can reopen it if needed. That takes some pressure off.

Yeah, your claim doesn't just disappear if you start working more hours temporarily.

I tried reading the handbook but got lost in all the technical language.

The handbook is comprehensive but definitely not written for regular people to understand easily.

That's encouraging to hear from someone with long-term experience.

A year? Wow, I didn't realize you could be on partial benefits for that long.

It is the same time limit - usually 26 weeks but can be extended during high unemployment periods. Partial benefits count toward your total benefit year.

Okay that makes sense, thanks for explaining.

Absolutely, I would never risk my benefits by lying about work. Thanks for the reminder.

Good advice. I've heard horror stories about people getting caught in lies and having to pay everything back.

Perfect summary. I feel much better about my situation now. Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses!

Glad we could help clear up the confusion. Good luck with your part-time work and UI claim.

That's a really good point. I should probably mention it to my supervisor just so they're aware.

Yes! Some employers think their workers can't be on unemployment at all. Better to be upfront about it.

I've been in this situation before and it really does help to be transparent with your employer. Some managers are actually supportive because they know you're actively looking for full-time work and might even consider you for more hours if business picks up. Plus it shows you're being honest about your situation.