How many hours can you work part-time and still collect Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

There's no specific hour limit in Washington - it's all about your earnings compared to your weekly benefit amount. You can work part-time and still collect partial benefits as long as your gross wages don't exceed 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount. So if your WBA is $400, you can earn up to $600 gross and still get some benefits.

I've been doing part-time work for months and it's been fine. The key is reporting everything accurately on your weekly claim. Don't try to hide hours or wages - they'll catch it eventually through quarterly wage matching.

Actually had a similar situation last year when I was trying to reach Washington ESD about part-time work rules. Couldn't get through on the phone for weeks until I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com. They basically call Washington ESD for you and get you connected to an actual agent. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me so much time and stress.

BE CAREFUL with part-time work! I worked 25 hours one week and they cut my benefits completely that week. You need to stay under the threshold or you get nothing.

The whole system is confusing honestly. I wish Washington ESD would just give us a simple chart or calculator to figure out how much we can earn without losing benefits.

For anyone still confused: Washington allows you to work part-time and collect partial UI benefits. The calculation is: Weekly Benefit Amount minus (Gross Wages minus $5). You stop getting benefits when your gross wages exceed 1.5 times your WBA.

Just remember you still have to do your job search activities even while working part-time. Don't let that slide or you could get disqualified.

I tried calling Washington ESD about this exact question and spent literally 6 hours over 3 days trying to get through. Never connected to a human. It's ridiculous.

I've been working part-time throughout my entire claim and it's worked out fine. Just be honest about your hours and wages. The system is designed to encourage part-time work while you look for full-time employment.

Does anyone know if there are different rules for different types of part-time work? Like gig work vs regular employment?

The Washington ESD website says you can work part-time and still collect benefits but the calculation examples they give are confusing. I ended up calling and waiting 2 hours before someone explained it to me properly.

Quick question - if I work exactly 40 hours in a week, do I lose all my benefits for that week?

I work exactly 19 hours every week at $16/hour and still get about $150 in benefits each week. The system works as long as you report accurately.

The most important thing is being completely honest on your weekly claims. Don't round down hours or forget to report cash tips or anything like that.

Been working part-time while on UI for 6 months now. The key is understanding that formula: WBA minus (gross wages minus $5). Once you get that, it's straightforward.

Thanks for asking this question! I was in a similar situation last year working part-time retail while collecting benefits. The earnings calculation can be confusing at first, but once you understand the formula (WBA minus gross wages minus $5), it becomes much clearer. I found it helpful to calculate my expected benefit amount before each weekly claim so there were no surprises. Just make sure you're reporting your exact hours worked and gross wages - don't try to estimate or round. The system is actually pretty fair about allowing part-time work while you search for full-time employment. Good luck with your job search!