How much does Washington ESD charge employers for unemployment benefits?

So if I have no employees file claims, my rate could go down over time?

Exactly! Clean record = lower rates. But one bad separation can spike your costs for years.

I'm planning to open a restaurant. Any idea what industry rate that would fall under?

Food service typically has higher rates due to seasonal employment patterns. Probably looking at 3-4% to start.

Restaurants definitely pay more because of high turnover. My brother owns one and his rate is like 5.2% now.

That wage base seems really high compared to other states I've looked at.

Yeah Washington has one of the highest wage bases in the country. It goes up every year too.

Is that legit? I've been trying to call Washington ESD for weeks about my employer registration.

Yeah I was skeptical too but it actually worked. Check out claimyr.com - they handle the phone queue hassle for you.

How much does something like that cost though? Seems like it could add up if you need to call frequently.

Yeah I'm probably going to need professional help with this. It's more complicated than I expected.

definitely recommend getting help. the penalties for messing up payroll taxes are no joke

Wait, so there are multiple unemployment-related taxes I need to pay?

Yes - regular UI, paid family medical leave, and industrial insurance if you have employees. It adds up quick.

The family leave program is relatively new but it's mandatory for most employers now. Around 0.6% split between employer and employee.

Wow that's a huge jump! How long does it take for rates to come back down?

Still waiting... it's been 3 years. They base it on a rolling average of claims so it takes time.

That's exactly why I use Claimyr when I need to talk to Washington ESD about rate issues. So much easier than sitting on hold for hours.

I hadn't even thought about covering myself! Is that common for small business owners?

Not super common but it's an option. Gig workers and freelancers can elect coverage too now.

Tell me about it! I thought I was just paying one unemployment tax but apparently there are several different ones.

Yeah and Washington ESD doesn't exactly make their employer guides user-friendly either.

That helps a lot for planning. Is there anywhere I can find the specific industry rates?

Washington ESD publishes rate schedules annually. Look for the 'employer tax rates' section on their website.

Even with zero employees? That seems weird.

yep, once you register as an employer you have to keep filing even if your payroll is zero. super annoying

That's encouraging! So it really does pay off to be a good employer.

Absolutely. Proper documentation during terminations is key. Don't give people reasons to file claims.

I'll keep that in mind. Hopefully I won't need it but good to know there are options.

Wish I'd known about services like that when I was dealing with my rate appeal. Would have saved me months of frustration.

So I'm paying both federal and Washington state unemployment taxes?

Correct. Federal is 6% but you get credits for paying state taxes, so it's usually 0.6% effective rate. State is where the big costs are.

Yeah I'm definitely going to need professional help with payroll. This is way more complex than I thought.

Smart move. Payroll companies handle all the filings and rate management for you. Worth every penny.

Not seasonal but good to know for the future if I expand to different locations.

That's solid advice. I'd rather budget high and be pleasantly surprised than the other way around.

Agreed. And remember these rates can change, so review your budget annually when new rate schedules come out.

What kind of records should I be keeping specifically?

payroll records, timesheets, separation notices, anything related to employee status changes. keep it all organized

Thanks for all the info everyone. This thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding what I'm getting into.

Definitely planning to hire a payroll company now. You've all convinced me it's worth the investment.