Tried calling ESD at 8am but keep getting disconnected - any real tricks to reach a live agent?

The 8am trick used to work in 2021, but not anymore. ESD changed their phone system last year and now there's no magic time to call. What worked for me was calling the general claims center first (not the special adjudication line) and selecting the option for 'information about an existing claim' rather than 'questions about a pending claim.' Sometimes the routing system will put you in a different queue that way. Also, try calling mid-week (Tuesday or Wednesday) as Mondays and Fridays tend to be their busiest days.

OMG SAME. ive been hung up on EIGHT TIMES this week!!! the system is rigged to keep us from getting help i swear. my friend said she got thru by using the spanish option then asking to be transferrd to english when they picked up but i havent tried it yet.

After spending 3 weeks trying to reach ESD with no luck (and my claim stuck in adjudication too), I finally tried Claimyr and got through to an agent in about 40 minutes. It basically keeps dialing for you and secures your place in line when there's an opening. They have a video demo that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. The website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out. Definitely worth it for me since I needed to get my adjudication resolved before I got evicted.

I HATE the ESD phone system with a burning passion!!!! I've been dealing with unemployment on and off for 2 years and it's NEVER been this bad. The whole system is designed to prevent you from getting help. I've literally called 50+ times in one day without getting through. The 8am trick is total BS now - everyone tries that so the lines are jammed instantly. And don't bother with the callback option if you ever get it - they called me back at 4:59pm right before closing and then hung up when I answered!!!!

Former ESD employee here. A few tips that might help: 1. Their phone system actually opens at 7:55am, not 8:00am, but that's when everyone calls. 2. Try calling at 1:30pm instead - that's right after the lunch rotation when all agents are back. 3. Make sure you have your claim ID, last 4 of SSN, and a list of all dates/issues ready before calling. 4. If you're in adjudication specifically, try the Office of Administrative Hearings directly at 1-800-366-0955 if it's been more than 3 weeks. 5. If you submit documentation through eServices, call 3 business days later - this creates a 'follow-up' flag in their system. Hope this helps someone!

i had this same problem last month what i did is i sent a message through eservices AND emailed my state representative (found mine at leg.wa.gov) and explained i was about to be evicted if my claim wasnt fixed. got a call from esd special unit 2 days later! sometimes political pressure works when nothing else does