How many hours can you work and still get unemployment - Washington ESD weekly claim confusion

You can work and still collect partial unemployment in Washington! The key is reporting ALL hours worked and wages earned on your weekly claim. Washington ESD uses a formula to calculate your partial benefit amount. Generally, they subtract your gross earnings from your weekly benefit amount, but there's usually a small earnings disregard built in.

I've been in this exact situation. What matters is your gross earnings compared to your weekly benefit amount. If you earn more than your weekly benefit amount plus $5, then you won't get any unemployment for that week. But if you earn less, you'll get a reduced payment.

Just make sure you're available for full-time work and actively job searching. Even with part-time work, you still need to meet those requirements. I got dinged once for not doing enough job search activities because I thought my part-time job counted as my only required activity.

I was stressing about this same thing last month! I kept trying to call Washington ESD to get a clear answer but could never get through. The phone system is impossible. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a real person at Washington ESD. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. The agent I talked to explained the whole partial benefit calculation perfectly.

The important thing is ALWAYS report your hours and earnings accurately. I've seen people get in trouble for not reporting work or trying to hide income. Washington ESD cross-references with employers so they'll find out anyway.

ugh the whole system is so confusing! I work like 12 hours one week and 6 the next and my unemployment amount is different every time. At least I'm getting something though

Just a heads up - make sure your employer isn't scheduling you in a way that makes you unavailable for other work. If you're only available certain days/times because of your part-time job, that could potentially affect your eligibility.

I think the magic number is if you work more than 32 hours you lose benefits? Or is that for regular full-time work? I'm probably wrong lol

Pro tip: keep really good records of your hours and pay. Washington ESD might ask for documentation later, especially if there are any discrepancies. I take photos of my timesheets and keep all my paystubs.

Question - do you have to report hours if you don't get paid that week? Like if I work but won't get paid until the following week?

The Washington ESD website has a partial benefit calculator somewhere but I could never find it when I needed it. Anyone know where that is?

This whole thread is making me feel better about my situation. I've been working 10-20 hours a week and was worried I was doing something wrong since my unemployment payments keep changing.

One thing to watch out for - some employers don't understand that you can work part-time and collect unemployment. My boss kept making comments about it until I explained how the system actually works.

I tried using that Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier and it actually worked! Got through to Washington ESD in like 20 minutes instead of trying for hours. The agent confirmed that as long as you report everything accurately, working part-time while on unemployment is fine.

Just remember that if your part-time job becomes full-time or if you start making more than your weekly benefit amount consistently, you need to close your unemployment claim. Don't try to keep collecting when you're not eligible anymore.

This has been really helpful! I was so stressed about possibly losing my benefits but it sounds like as long as I keep reporting accurately I should be fine. Thanks everyone!

For anyone still reading - the most important things are: 1) Report all work and earnings accurately, 2) Stay available for full-time work, 3) Keep doing your job search activities, and 4) Don't stress too much about the hour calculations since Washington ESD handles that automatically.

Last thing I'll add - if you ever get confused about your specific situation, don't hesitate to contact Washington ESD directly. Whether through regular phone calls or services like Claimyr, getting official answers is always better than guessing. Your unemployment eligibility is too important to risk on assumptions.