How much can you work on unemployment benefits in Washington ESD?

In Washington, you can work part-time and still collect unemployment benefits. The key is that your gross earnings from work plus your unemployment benefit can't exceed 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount. So if your weekly benefit is $425, you can earn up to $212 from work and still get your full unemployment benefit. If you earn more than $212 but less than $637.50 (1.5 x $425), your benefit gets reduced dollar-for-dollar.

You also have to report ALL work and earnings on your weekly claim, even if it's just a few hours. Washington ESD is pretty strict about this - if you don't report work and they find out later, you could get hit with an overpayment demand or even fraud charges.

Just went through this same situation last month! The restaurant work is actually perfect for this because the hours are usually flexible. I was making about $250-300 per week and still getting most of my unemployment. Just make sure you're still doing your job search requirements - you still need to apply for jobs and log them in WorkSourceWA even if you're working part-time.

I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks to ask about this exact thing! Their phone lines are always busy and when I do get through, I get disconnected. Has anyone found a better way to reach them? I'm getting stressed about reporting my hours correctly.

ugh i hate this system so much!! why is it so confusing to just work a few hours and still get benefits?? i make like $150 one week and $50 the next depending on how many shifts they give me and i never know if im doing the reporting right

The restaurant industry is perfect for this actually. I worked at a brewery part-time while on unemployment for about 4 months. Made anywhere from $180-$320 per week depending on how busy we were. The key is just being honest about your earnings and understanding that some weeks you'll get more unemployment, some weeks less, but it usually evens out to more total income than just unemployment alone.

WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T TRY TO HIDE ANY INCOME! I know someone who thought they could just not report cash tips and got caught in an audit. Washington ESD has ways to find out and the penalties are BRUTAL. Better to report everything and get a smaller benefit than risk fraud charges.

Just to add - if your restaurant work turns into full-time hours (over 32 hours per week usually), you're no longer eligible for unemployment benefits even if you're making less money than your benefit amount. The system is about being unemployed or underemployed, not just about income levels.

I'm in food service too and had similar questions. Called Washington ESD using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and the agent was super helpful. She explained that as long as I'm actively seeking full-time work and reporting all my part-time earnings accurately, I'm good to go. Really put my mind at ease.

been working part time at a coffee shop while on unemployment for 2 months now. usually make around $200-250 per week and still get most of my unemployment benefit. the math works out pretty well most weeks. just stay on top of your weekly claims and dont let them pile up

One thing to watch out for - if your employer offers you full-time hours and you turn them down, you could lose your unemployment benefits. Even if you're just working part-time now, if they offer you more hours and you refuse, Washington ESD might consider that 'refusing suitable work' and disqualify you.

The restaurant industry is great for this because most places understand people are on unemployment and looking for other work. My manager knows I'm still job hunting and is flexible about my schedule for interviews. Just communicate with your employer about your situation.

BTW make sure you understand the difference between gross and net income when reporting. You report GROSS income (before taxes) not what you actually take home. Made that mistake my first week and had to call to correct it.

Just want to echo what others have said about being completely honest with your reporting. I've been working part-time retail while collecting benefits for 3 months and haven't had any issues because I report everything accurately. The system actually works pretty well if you follow the rules.

One last tip - keep good records of your work hours and earnings. I use a simple notebook to write down each shift and how much I made. If Washington ESD ever questions anything, you'll have documentation to back up what you reported.