How to get through Washington ESD unemployment phone line - need help reaching someone

3 months?? That's terrifying. Did you ever get through or did you have to find another way to resolve it?

Eventually got through but it took forever. The agent fixed my issue in 5 minutes after I'd been waiting months. So frustrating.

Really? I never thought of that. Do you have the Spanish line number?

It's the same main number but when you get to the language selection, choose Spanish. Worth a shot!

This actually worked for me once! Got through in 45 minutes instead of never getting through on the English line.

Never heard of this - is it legit? How does it work exactly?

Yeah it's totally legitimate. You go to claimyr.com and they basically do all the calling and waiting for you. When they get an agent on the line, they conference you in. Way better than sitting on hold for hours yourself.

How much does something like that cost though? I'm already broke from waiting for my unemployment.

It's worth checking out their site for current info. For me it was totally worth it to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD instead of never getting through.

I tried this but still couldn't get through. Maybe I need to try even earlier?

Yeah, set multiple alarms and have your phone ready to dial. It's ridiculous but that's the only way I've gotten through without waiting forever.

I completely understand your frustration. The whole system needs to be rebuilt from scratch.

Exactly! How is this acceptable in 2025? Other states have figured out how to answer their phones.

That's a good idea. Do they actually help with unemployment stuff?

Yeah, constituent services is part of what they do. Worth a shot if you're really stuck.

Good point - I forget those exist. Do you know if they can access the same systems as the phone agents?

They have some access but not everything. Better than nothing though, especially if your issue is straightforward.

Interesting timing - I'll try that tomorrow. Did you still have long hold times?

Still had to wait but only about an hour instead of forever. Much more manageable.

Don't give up! That's what I'm afraid of doing but I know I need to keep trying.

Definitely don't give up. That's exactly why I ended up using Claimyr - I was at that same point of frustration.

I sent a message 2 weeks ago and haven't heard anything back yet. Maybe I should try again?

Yeah, keep sending messages. Sometimes you get lucky and someone responds within a few days.

Good advice. I have a folder with all my unemployment paperwork ready to go.

Smart! Also write down the agent's name and reference number for your call in case you need to follow up.

That's such a cynical but probably accurate take on the situation.

It's the only explanation that makes sense. No organization accidentally has a phone system this bad.

They've been saying that for years though. I'm not holding my breath.

True, but we can hope. In the meantime we're all stuck with this broken system.

That's really tempting. I'm getting desperate enough to try anything at this point.

I might look into this too. Getting really tired of wasting entire days trying to call.

Yes, I'm definitely keeping up with my weekly filings. Don't want to lose my place in line or whatever.

Exactly right. That would just create more problems you'd need to call about.

Same here. At least we're all in this mess together.

There should be a support group for people trying to reach Washington ESD lol

Thanks for the encouragement. I'll keep trying and update this thread if I find something that works.

Please do! We all need to share what works so we can help each other out.

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. I'll try a few of these approaches and see what happens.

Keep us posted on what works! And seriously consider checking out claimyr.com if you get too frustrated with the regular calling.

Hope you get through soon. This whole situation is just ridiculous.