Washington ESD - What is the difference between disguised unemployment and seasonal unemployment for my claim?

These are actually economic terms that describe different types of unemployment situations. Seasonal unemployment is when jobs regularly disappear during certain times of year (like construction in winter, retail after holidays). Disguised unemployment is when you're technically employed but not really working full hours or productive work - like when employers keep people on payroll but with reduced hours instead of laying them off.

For Washington ESD purposes, what matters is that you're genuinely unemployed and available for work. Whether it's seasonal or not doesn't change your eligibility - you still need to be actively looking for work each week unless you have a specific return date from your employer.

I've been through this exact situation with Washington ESD before. The key difference is seasonal work has predictable patterns - like your construction job - while disguised unemployment is more about underemployment where you're working but not getting enough hours or meaningful work. For your weekly claims, just report honestly about your job search activities.

I was struggling with getting through to Washington ESD about my seasonal situation last year and someone here recommended Claimyr. It's a service that helps you actually reach ESD agents instead of getting the busy signal all day. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Ended up being super helpful for getting my questions answered directly.

honestly the whole system is confusing af... why do they use all these fancy economic terms when they could just ask straight up if you got laid off or if you're still working reduced hours??

The main thing Washington ESD cares about is whether you're actually unemployed and available for work. Seasonal unemployment is pretty straightforward - you had a job, got laid off due to seasonal factors, and you're looking for new work. Disguised unemployment is more complex and less relevant to most UI claims.

I think there might be some confusion here about standby status too. If your employer gave you a specific date to return, you might qualify for standby which means you don't have to job search. But if it's just a vague 'maybe in spring' that's different.

Been dealing with this for years in construction. Seasonal unemployment is just part of the job - you know it's coming, you plan for it, and you file your claim when it happens. The disguised unemployment thing sounds more like what happens when companies cut everyone's hours instead of doing layoffs.

This reminds me of when I was trying to figure out my claim status and couldn't get through to anyone at ESD. Someone mentioned Claimyr (claimyr.com) and it actually helped me reach an agent who explained my situation. Might be worth checking out if you need to talk to someone directly about your specific circumstances.

okay but what if you're working but your hours got cut to like 10 hours a week? is that the disguised unemployment thing?

Just want to add that seasonal unemployment is totally normal and expected in industries like construction, agriculture, tourism, etc. Don't feel bad about filing - it's exactly what the system is designed for.

The terminology doesn't really matter for your claim filing. What matters is accurately reporting your work search activities and any work you do find. Keep it simple and honest.

Seasonal unemployment happens in predictable cycles. Disguised unemployment is more about being underemployed while technically still having a job. For your ESD claim, focus on your actual situation - you were laid off seasonally and you're looking for work.

I had similar confusion about these terms when I filed my claim. Ended up using that Claimyr service someone mentioned to actually talk to an ESD rep who cleared everything up. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person to understand your specific situation.

Don't worry too much about the economic definitions. For ESD purposes, you're unemployed, you're available for work, and you're actively searching. That's what matters for your weekly claims.