Need help finding employer EAN number for Washington ESD unemployment claim
I'm trying to file my unemployment claim but Washington ESD is asking for my employer's EAN number and I have no idea where to find this. I worked at a restaurant that closed down last month and I don't have any of my pay stubs with me right now. Is this something that should be on my W-2 or paystub? I've been searching online but everything just says to contact your employer, which obviously isn't an option since they're out of business. Has anyone dealt with this before? Really need to get this claim filed ASAP.
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Ryan Young
The EAN (Employer Account Number) should be on your paystubs or W-2 forms. It's usually a 6-7 digit number that starts with your employer's unemployment insurance account info.
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Samantha Hall
•I don't have any paystubs with me and won't get my W-2 until January. Is there another way to find it?
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Ryan Young
•You can try calling Washington ESD - they might be able to look it up by the business name and address.
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Sophia Clark
Check your final paystub or any employment paperwork you might have kept. The EAN is required for Washington ESD to process your claim because it identifies which employer account your wages were reported under.
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Samantha Hall
•I kept some paperwork but nothing that looks like it has account numbers on it. Just my employee handbook and stuff like that.
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Sophia Clark
•Employment handbooks usually don't have it. You really need a paystub or tax document. Can you go back to the restaurant location and see if there's any posted notices?
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Katherine Harris
This is exactly why I had such a hard time getting through to Washington ESD when I needed help with my claim. The phone lines are always busy and when you do get through, they put you on hold forever. I actually found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. It was a lifesaver for me when I needed to talk to someone about my employer info.
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Samantha Hall
•That sounds helpful but I'm worried about giving out personal information to a third party service.
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Katherine Harris
•I understand the concern, but they don't actually handle your personal claim info - they just help you get connected to the actual Washington ESD representatives.
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Madison Allen
•Never heard of this before. How much does it cost?
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Joshua Wood
If the restaurant is permanently closed, Washington ESD should be able to help you locate the EAN using the business name and address. You might also try checking if the business filed for bankruptcy - those records sometimes include employer tax ID numbers.
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Samantha Hall
•Good idea about the bankruptcy records. How would I check that?
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Joshua Wood
•You can search bankruptcy records online through the federal court system, but honestly calling Washington ESD is probably faster.
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Justin Evans
ugh this is so frustrating!! why do they make it so hard to file for benefits when you actually need them???
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Samantha Hall
•I know right? Like if the business is closed how am I supposed to get this information from them?
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Sophia Clark
•It's frustrating but the EAN is necessary for tracking your wage history accurately. Without it, they can't verify your employment.
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Ryan Young
Did you work anywhere else in the past 18 months? Sometimes people forget about part-time jobs or seasonal work. You'll need the EAN for all employers in your base period.
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Samantha Hall
•Just the restaurant. I worked there for about 14 months before they closed.
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Ryan Young
•Ok so just the one employer then. Definitely try calling Washington ESD with the business name and address.
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Sophia Clark
Here's what I'd suggest: 1) Check any tax documents you have from 2024, 2) Look through any employment paperwork for numbers that might be the EAN, 3) Call Washington ESD with the business details. They deal with closed businesses all the time so they should be able to help.
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Samantha Hall
•Thanks, that's a good step by step approach. I'll try calling them tomorrow morning.
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Emily Parker
•Good luck getting through! I've been trying to reach them for a week about my adjudication.
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Madison Allen
I had the same problem when my employer went out of business. Washington ESD was actually able to look up the EAN for me using just the business name and address. It took a while on the phone but they found it.
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Samantha Hall
•That's encouraging! How long did you have to wait on hold?
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Madison Allen
•About 45 minutes but it was worth it to get my claim filed correctly.
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Emily Parker
•45 minutes? That's actually not too bad compared to what I've been experiencing.
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Joshua Wood
Pro tip: If you can't reach Washington ESD by phone, you can also submit a question through their online portal. It takes longer to get a response but at least you won't be stuck on hold.
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Samantha Hall
•I didn't know they had an online question system. Is that through the same portal where you file claims?
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Joshua Wood
•Yes, it's in the same SecureAccess Washington system. Look for the 'Ask a Question' or 'Send a Message' option.
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Justin Evans
this whole system is such a mess. like why can't they just use SSN or something simpler?
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Sophia Clark
•They need the EAN because multiple employers can have workers with the same SSN. The EAN ties your wages to the specific employer account that paid unemployment taxes on your behalf.
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Justin Evans
•ok that makes sense i guess but still annoying when you can't get the info
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Katherine Harris
Just wanted to follow up on the Claimyr thing I mentioned earlier - I used it again last week when I had questions about my job search requirements and it really does work. Got through to a Washington ESD rep in about 10 minutes instead of the usual hour+ wait times.
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Samantha Hall
•That's pretty convincing. I might give it a try if I can't get through the regular way.
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Ezra Collins
•I'm skeptical of any service that charges money to help with government benefits but if it actually works...
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Ryan Young
Another thing to check - if you ever received any official letters from Washington ESD about your employment (like notices about unemployment taxes), those sometimes have employer account numbers on them.
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Samantha Hall
•I don't think I ever got any letters like that. Those would go to the employer, right?
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Ryan Young
•Usually yes, but sometimes workers get copies if there are wage disputes or other issues. Worth checking though.
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Emily Parker
I'm dealing with a similar situation but my employer is still in business, they just laid me off. They're being really uncooperative about giving me any information though. Can Washington ESD force them to provide the EAN?
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Sophia Clark
•If your employer is still operating, they're required to provide employment verification information. Washington ESD can contact them directly if needed.
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Emily Parker
•Good to know. I'll mention that when I call Washington ESD.
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Samantha Hall
Update: I found an old paystub in my car and it has a number that looks like it could be the EAN! It's 7 digits and labeled as 'Employer Account'. Going to try entering that when I file my claim.
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Sophia Clark
•That sounds right! The EAN is typically 6-7 digits and would be labeled as employer account or similar on paystubs.
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Ryan Young
•Perfect! That should be exactly what you need. Make sure to keep that paystub for your records.
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Madison Allen
•Great news! Hope your claim goes through smoothly now.
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Joshua Wood
For anyone else reading this thread, it's always a good idea to keep at least one paystub from each employer for exactly this reason. You never know when you might need that information for unemployment or other purposes.
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Justin Evans
•yeah lesson learned. i usually throw mine away after each paycheck
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Joshua Wood
•I keep mine in a folder at home. Takes up almost no space and has saved me multiple times.
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Samantha Hall
Success! The number from my paystub worked and I was able to complete my unemployment claim. Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions. Hopefully this thread helps someone else in the same situation.
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Sophia Clark
•Glad it worked out! Don't forget to keep filing your weekly claims on time.
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Ryan Young
•Awesome! And remember you'll need to do your job search activities too - 3 per week minimum.
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Katherine Harris
•Congrats! And if you run into any issues with Washington ESD in the future, you know where to find help getting through to them.
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Victoria Scott
This thread was really helpful. I'm in a similar situation with a business that closed and was worried I wouldn't be able to file for unemployment. Good to know Washington ESD can help locate the EAN if needed.
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Samantha Hall
•Definitely check any old paystubs first though - that's the easiest way if you have them.
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Joshua Wood
•And don't wait too long to file your claim. There are time limits on when you can apply for benefits.
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Ezra Collins
I've been putting off filing my claim because I couldn't find my employer's EAN either. This gives me some options to try. Thanks for sharing your experience!
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Sophia Clark
•Don't wait too long - unemployment benefits are retroactive but only to when you first became eligible and filed your claim.
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Ezra Collins
•Good point, I'll work on getting that information this week.
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Madison Allen
One more tip - if you're having trouble with Washington ESD phone lines, try calling right when they open at 8am. That's usually when you have the best chance of getting through quickly.
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Emily Parker
•I've tried that but even at 8am the wait times are crazy. Maybe that Claimyr service really is worth looking into.
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Katherine Harris
•It definitely is. I wouldn't keep recommending it if it didn't actually work. The video demo I mentioned shows you exactly how the process works.
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Benjamin Johnson
Thanks for this thread. I bookmarked it in case I need this info later. Unemployment system seems complicated but at least there are ways to get help.
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Samantha Hall
•It's definitely confusing at first but once you get started it's not too bad. The hardest part is just getting all the initial information together.
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Sophia Clark
•Exactly. Washington ESD has improved their online system a lot over the past few years too, so it's easier than it used to be.
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