Washington ESD claim - which type of unemployment is the least harmful and will always exist?

That makes sense! So people who quit to find better jobs would fall into this category?

Exactly, but keep in mind that in Washington state, voluntarily quitting usually disqualifies you from unemployment benefits unless you have good cause like unsafe working conditions or harassment.

This is interesting from an academic perspective, but when you're actually dealing with Washington ESD and trying to get your weekly claims processed, all unemployment feels pretty harmful tbh

Fair point - the economic theory doesn't make paying bills any easier when you're waiting for your adjudication to clear.

How does that service work exactly? I've been trying to call Washington ESD for weeks about my pending claim.

They basically handle the calling for you and get you connected to actual ESD representatives. Way better than sitting on hold for hours just to get disconnected.

So cyclical would be like what happened during COVID when so many people lost jobs due to shutdowns?

yeah exactly, thats when demand drops across the whole economy. way different than someone just switching jobs

My dad was a print newspaper worker for 30 years - that would be structural unemployment when his job disappeared, right?

Exactly - technological change eliminated the demand for those skills entirely. Much harder situation than someone just looking for a better position in their existing field.

Structural unemployment often requires retraining programs, which Washington ESD does offer through WorkSource. But the process can take months or years.

Good point - I guess the classification matters more for policy makers than individual claimants.

Yep, whether you're frictionally unemployed or cyclically unemployed, you still have to log 3 job search activities per week in Washington state.

Have you tried that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier? I was skeptical at first but it actually worked for getting through to ESD.

I might have to look into that - I'm so tired of calling the 833 number just to get busy signals all day.

Even 'healthy' unemployment can last longer than expected, and not everyone has the luxury of saving enough for extended job searches. UI provides stability during transitions.

Also unemployment insurance covers all types - frictional, structural, and cyclical. It's not like Washington ESD asks what type of unemployment you have when you file your claim.

This is a really good point - the theory assumes perfect mobility and information, which doesn't match real life.

So even the 'good' type of unemployment can become problematic if it drags on too long?

Exactly - any unemployment becomes harmful to individuals if it lasts long enough, regardless of the underlying economic reasons.

Thanks, that's exactly what I needed for my assignment! The voluntary and short-term aspects make it different from the other types.

Just remember that from Washington ESD's perspective, voluntary job changes usually don't qualify for benefits unless there's good cause involved.

Are these percentages different in Washington state compared to national averages?

Washington's unemployment rate tends to track close to national averages, but tech sector volatility can cause more fluctuation in certain regions like Seattle.

Did they charge a lot for that service?

I'd rather not get into specific costs, but it was worth it to actually talk to someone at ESD and get my issue resolved quickly.

That makes sense - if unemployment is supposed to be short-term, then active job searching should be expected.

Though sometimes the job market reality doesn't match those assumptions, especially in specialized fields or rural areas.

That's a great analogy! So it prevents the economy from getting 'stuck' with bad job matches.

Right, and it allows wages to adjust properly as people move between employers competing for workers.

Perfect summary - thanks everyone for helping me understand this concept and how it relates to real-world unemployment benefits!

Good luck with your economics assignment! This was actually a really interesting discussion.