How many hours can you work to still get unemployment benefits in Washington?

Thanks! So there's no specific hour limit, just the earnings limit? My weekly benefit amount is $425 so I could earn up to $430 and still get something?

Exactly right. As long as your gross weekly earnings don't exceed your weekly benefit amount plus $5, you'll receive a reduced unemployment payment. Washington ESD calculates this automatically when you report your earnings.

Good point. My part-time job is flexible with scheduling so I can still interview and accept full-time positions. Should I mention that in my work search activities?

Yes, document your availability for full-time work in your job search log. That shows Washington ESD you're genuinely seeking full-time employment while working part-time.

I had the same problem until someone told me about claimyr.com - they help you get through to Washington ESD agents. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

Really? How does that work exactly? I'm desperate at this point, I've been calling since 8am every day for two weeks.

They basically handle the calling and waiting for you, then connect you when they reach an agent. Much better than sitting on hold for hours only to get disconnected.

Yikes, how did they find out? I definitely plan to report everything but I'm curious how they track this stuff.

Quarterly wage reports from employers. They match up your SSN and see all reported wages. Then they send you an overpayment notice demanding everything back with interest.

This happened to my brother too. Washington ESD eventually catches up with everyone who doesn't report properly. The penalties are brutal.

There's no specific hour limit in Washington - it's based on earnings, not hours. You could work 40 hours at minimum wage and still qualify if your earnings are low enough, or work 10 hours at a high-paying job and earn too much.

Oh okay that makes more sense. I was thinking of some other state's rules probably.

Good reminder! I've been keeping up with my job searches through WorkSourceWA. Does applying to jobs at my current company count toward the 3 activities?

Yes, internal applications count as long as they're for different positions. Make sure to log them in your job search record with all the required details.

They do have guidelines but they're buried in their handbook that's like 200 pages long. Most people never find the actual rules.

Exactly! It shouldn't be this hard to understand basic eligibility requirements.

Thanks for that tip! I was planning to report my net pay since that's what I actually receive. Good thing you mentioned it.

Yeah Washington ESD specifically asks for gross earnings. They want to know what you earned before any deductions.

How do they determine that? Is there a specific threshold or is it more subjective?

It's somewhat subjective but generally if you're consistently working 32+ hours per week for several weeks, they might consider you no longer unemployed.

That's encouraging to hear! Did your benefit amount vary a lot week to week based on your hours?

Yeah it fluctuated based on how much I earned each week. Some weeks I got my full benefit amount, others just a partial payment. Washington ESD's system calculates it automatically.

My shifts are mostly evenings and weekends so I'm available during normal business hours. Should I mention that in my weekly claims?

That's perfect then. You don't need to explain your availability in the weekly claim unless they specifically ask. Just make sure you can honestly answer yes to being available for work.

I'll check that out! Is it pretty accurate or just a rough estimate?

It's fairly accurate as long as you enter your information correctly. Gives you a good idea of what to expect.

Definitely won't lie about anything! Did your cousin get caught during an audit or how did Washington ESD find out?

random audit i think. they compared his reported hours to what his employer submitted and it didnt match up

Is that legitimate? Sounds too good to be true given how impossible it is to reach anyone at Washington ESD normally.

Yeah it's legit, they just handle the calling process for you. I was skeptical too but got connected to an agent within an hour instead of days of failed attempts.

That makes sense. So if I start working part-time this week I should mention that in my weekly claim filing even though the earnings question covers it?

The earnings reporting should be sufficient, but if there's a comments section you could mention it's new part-time work while seeking full-time employment.

Good point! I might get some holiday pay from my previous job. Do I report that the week I receive it or the week it's supposed to represent?

Report it for the week you receive the payment, not when the holiday occurred. Washington ESD wants to know when money actually came in.

How many weeks of zero payments would trigger that? My hours might vary quite a bit depending on business needs.

I believe it's around 4-6 weeks of zero payments but I'm not 100% certain on the exact timeframe. Variable hours shouldn't be an issue as long as you keep filing weekly.

I used it and it worked for me. Got connected to a Washington ESD agent after weeks of failed attempts on my own. The video demo I mentioned earlier shows exactly how the process works.

Okay that's reassuring. I might give it a try since traditional calling clearly isn't working for me.

Perfect summary! Thanks everyone for all the helpful information. I feel much more confident about managing both the part-time work and my unemployment claim properly.