How many hours do you have to work to collect unemployment with Washington ESD?

You can work part-time and still collect unemployment in Washington, but there are limits. Generally, if you work less than full-time hours (usually under 32-35 hours per week) and earn less than your weekly benefit amount plus $5, you may be eligible for partial benefits. The key is that your hours were reduced involuntarily.

i had the same situation last year. you can work up to a certain amount and still get partial unemployment. just make sure you report everything correctly on your weekly claims or Washington ESD will come after you for overpayment

I had such a hard time getting through to Washington ESD when I had questions about partial benefits. Spent hours on hold and kept getting disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration.

The specific rule in Washington is that you can earn up to your weekly benefit amount plus $5 without it affecting your unemployment benefits. Anything above that amount gets deducted dollar-for-dollar from your benefits. So if your weekly benefit amount is $300, you can earn up to $305 without any reduction.

ugh the Washington ESD system is so confusing!! I worked 15 hours last week and reported it but now my claim is under review. Why can't they just make this simple?

I've been collecting partial unemployment for 3 months now while working 20 hours per week. The process is pretty straightforward once you get used to it. Just make sure you keep track of your exact hours and gross earnings for each week.

Wait, I'm confused. If I work 30 hours one week but only 10 hours the next week, do I report both weeks differently? Or is there some kind of average they use?

Does anyone know if you still have to do the job search requirements when you're working part-time and collecting partial benefits?

I tried calling Washington ESD about partial benefits last month and couldn't get through. Finally used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and got connected to an agent within an hour. They explained everything about working while collecting benefits. Definitely worth it if you're stuck.

Been there done that with the partial benefits thing. Just remember that Washington ESD is super strict about accurate reporting. If you mess up your hours or earnings even by accident, they'll hit you with an overpayment notice.

just wanted to add that if your employer offers you more hours and you turn them down, that could affect your unemployment benefits. Washington ESD considers that a refusal of suitable work

The whole system is designed to be confusing so people give up and don't collect benefits they're entitled to. I spent 6 months trying to navigate partial benefits on my own before getting help. Don't let them wear you down!

Another thing to consider is that your partial benefits will reduce the total number of weeks you can collect unemployment. Each week you collect partial benefits counts as a week used, even if you don't get the full amount.

I was in a similar situation and used Claimyr to get through to Washington ESD. The agent explained that as long as I was working less than full-time and earning less than my weekly benefit amount plus $5, I could collect partial benefits. Really helped clarify things.

make sure you understand the difference between gross and net earnings when reporting. Washington ESD wants your gross earnings (before taxes), not your take-home pay

Bottom line: you can work part-time and collect unemployment in Washington, but you need to report everything accurately and keep looking for full-time work. The system is complicated but manageable if you stay on top of it.