Should I take a lower paying job while on Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

That's really helpful! Do you know how long I have before they expect me to take lower paying work? I'm at 6 weeks now.

Usually around 13-16 weeks is when they start expecting you to accept work at 70% of your previous wage. But document everything - keep records of all job offers and your reasons for declining.

Did you report the job offer to them when you filed your weekly claim?

no i didn't report it because i turned it down. figured it wasn't relevant since i didn't take it

You should actually report job offers even if you turn them down. It shows you're actively looking and gives you a chance to explain why you declined it.

That sounds really useful. I've been trying to call Washington ESD for days but can never get through. What did they tell you about the job offer situation?

The agent explained that I could decline the offer since it was more than 20% below my previous wage and I was still within my first 13 weeks of benefits. They said to document the offer and my reason for declining it.

I understand the frustration but the system is designed to be temporary assistance while you find comparable work. The suitable work standards are actually pretty reasonable if you understand them.

REASONABLE?? try living on $740 a week when your rent is $1800 and then tell me about reasonable

This is super helpful. The job is only 15 minutes from my house so distance isn't an issue. It's just the wage cut that's concerning me.

what about benefits? sometimes a lower wage job with good benefits can be worth more than just looking at hourly rate

Good point. This job does have health insurance which I'm paying for myself right now. Maybe I should calculate the total compensation package.

That's not necessarily good advice. If they take a job that pays significantly less, they might not qualify for benefits if they lose it later. Plus it could hurt their long-term earning potential.

better than sitting around collecting benefits indefinitely

They're not 'sitting around' - they're actively job searching which is required for benefits. And 6 weeks is hardly 'indefinitely'.

It's based on your base period wages which determines your weekly benefit amount. So if your temp job was during your base period, that could affect both your benefit amount and the suitable work calculation.

Oh no, I might have messed up then. The temp job was only for 3 weeks before I got laid off again.

That makes me feel better. I was worried they'd automatically cut my benefits if I reported turning down any job offer.

Nah, they're actually pretty reasonable about it. I turned down two jobs in my first month - one was too far away and one paid way too little. Never had any issues with my benefits.

Yeah I'm logging all my applications in WorkSourceWA. I've applied to about 25 jobs so far and had 4 interviews including this one.

That's a good application to interview ratio. Shows you're being strategic about where you apply.

That's encouraging to hear. I keep feeling like I should just take anything that's offered but you're right about career trajectory.

Exactly. Taking a big step backwards now might mean years of trying to get back to where you were before.

I'm definitely going to check that out. I really need to talk to someone who can look at my specific situation.

Same here - I tried calling Washington ESD directly for weeks and could never get through. Claimyr got me connected the same day I tried it.

I hadn't thought about negotiating. The recruiter made it sound like the wage was pretty fixed but maybe I should try.

Always worth asking! Worst they can say is no and you're not worse off than you are now.

Good point. I hadn't thought about what would happen if this job doesn't work out.

Yeah, if you quit without good cause or get fired for misconduct, you won't be eligible for benefits. But if you get laid off again, you'd probably qualify.

Exactly! When you factor in commute costs, work clothes, etc., sometimes the net difference isn't worth it.

Don't forget about the opportunity cost too. If you're working 40 hours a week at a low-paying job, that's 40 hours you can't spend looking for a better position.

That's really reassuring coming from someone who worked in the system. I feel like I'm overthinking this but don't want to mess up my benefits.

The key is documentation. Keep records of all your job search activities, offers received, and reasons for decisions. Shows you're taking the process seriously.

It's in the same field but a much more junior role than what I was doing before. Kind of like going backwards 5 years in my career.

Yeah, that's tough. Might be worth holding out a bit longer for something more appropriate to your experience level.

I'm going to sit down tonight and crunch all those numbers. I think seeing it laid out clearly will help me make the right decision.

Smart approach. Sometimes what looks like a tough decision becomes clearer when you see all the numbers.

Thank you for saying that. I've been feeling so much pressure to just take anything that's offered.

The pressure is real but remember that unemployment benefits exist for exactly this reason - to give you time to find appropriate work rather than having to take the first thing that comes along.

Definitely. I've been thinking about taking an online certification course while I'm job searching. Might make me more competitive for the roles I really want.

That's a great idea! Many employers value candidates who use unemployment time productively to improve their skills.

That's a good compromise. I'll ask for a couple days to think it over and try to get some official guidance in the meantime.

Perfect plan. Having official guidance will give you confidence in whatever decision you make.