How to talk to someone at Washington ESD unemployment office - getting through by phone

I tried calling at 8am sharp yesterday and still couldn't get through. How long do you usually wait on hold?

Usually about 45 minutes to an hour if I'm lucky. Some days I give up after 2 hours.

I didn't know about regional offices having their own numbers. Do you have any specific ones that work better?

The callback option disappeared on me last week after I waited 3 hours in the virtual queue. So frustrating!

That sounds too good to be true. How much does it cost and is it legit?

It's legitimate - they don't ask for any personal info about your claim, just help you get connected. Worth checking out the demo video to see how it works.

I'm always suspicious of third-party services but if it actually gets you through to Washington ESD...

I totally understand the frustration. Have you tried using the secure messaging system in your online account? Sometimes that gets a response faster than phone calls.

Yes I tried that too! Got an automated response saying they'll get back to me in 5-7 business days. It's been 10 days now.

Good tip! I'll try that tomorrow morning and see if it makes a difference.

I've heard similar advice about avoiding Mondays and Fridays when call volume is highest.

What specifically about job search requirements? I might be able to help clarify if it's a common question.

I'm on standby status but not sure if I still need to log job searches. The website is confusing about this.

If you're on standby, you typically don't need to do job searches, but you should verify with Washington ESD since every situation is different.

That's two people now who've had success with it. I'm starting to think it might be worth trying.

Did you have to give them access to your Washington ESD account or anything?

No, they don't need any of your personal info. They just help you get connected to the right department.

I wish I had that flexibility! I can only call during my lunch break and it's never enough time.

That's the problem - if you can't dedicate hours to calling, you're out of luck with the regular phone system.

That's exactly what I think! They don't want to deal with us so they make it impossible to reach them.

I think it's more about being understaffed and overwhelmed, but the result is the same - we can't get help when we need it.

WorkSource can help with job search stuff but I don't think they can access your actual UI claim information.

Good to know, thanks. I'll stick to trying to call Washington ESD directly then.

How long did you wait on hold once you got through?

about 20 minutes which wasnt too bad compared to usual

Adjudication can take 4-6 weeks unfortunately. The waiting is the worst part but try to be patient.

That's what I'm afraid of. I really need to know what's holding it up so I can provide any additional information they need.

This is exactly why I ended up using Claimyr. I was wasting too much time trying to get through on my own.

I might have to look into that if I can't get through soon. This is getting ridiculous.

That's actually a smart strategy. I'll keep that in mind for next time.

Good tip! I never thought about timing calls around holidays.

That gives me hope! What time did you call and how long did you wait?

Called around 11am on a Wednesday and waited about an hour and a half. Not fun but better than some of my other attempts.

Ok that's like 4 people now who've mentioned it. I'm definitely going to check out that demo video.

I'm still skeptical but if it actually works... might be worth it to save the frustration.

Try pressing 0 repeatedly during the automated prompts - sometimes it will connect you to a live person faster.

I'll try that next time. Anything to skip those endless menu options!

That's exactly how I feel! It shouldn't be this hard to get help with unemployment benefits.

The system definitely needs to be improved. Too many people are struggling just to get basic information about their claims.

That's great news! I'm going to keep trying based on everyone's advice here. Thanks for the encouragement!

Glad you finally got through! It's such a relief when you can actually talk to someone who can help.

Welcome to the struggle! I'm new here too and have been reading through all these comments - it's both frustrating and reassuring to know I'm not alone in this. The Tuesday 10am strategy sounds promising, and I'm also curious about that Claimyr thing since so many people seem to have had success with it. Let me know how it goes if you try either approach!

I'm in the exact same situation and it's so validating to read everyone's experiences here! I've been calling for over a week with no luck and was starting to think I was doing something wrong. The timing suggestions are really helpful - I hadn't thought about avoiding Mondays and Fridays when call volume is probably highest. I'm also intrigued by all the positive mentions of Claimyr, though like others I'm a bit cautious about third-party services. But if it actually works and doesn't require giving them personal claim info, it might be worth trying. This whole situation really highlights how inadequate the current system is for people who genuinely need help with their claims.