Washington ESD claims processing - why was unemployment so high 1982 similar to now?

That makes sense. At least we have online filing now, but the adjudication process still seems to be the bottleneck.

My mom worked at the unemployment office in Tacoma during that time and she said they were working 12 hour shifts just to keep up with claims

Yeah the phone situation is impossible. I've called probably 200 times and either get busy signal or put on hold for hours then disconnected.

I found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to a Washington ESD agent in about 20 minutes. They have some system that handles the calling for you - check out claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Finally got my adjudication issue resolved.

Interesting, never heard of that. Did they charge you a lot?

They focus on the value of actually reaching someone rather than the cost. For me it was worth it since I was losing way more money sitting in limbo.

Right, Paul Volcker was Fed chair then. The recession was brutal but it did break the back of inflation.

Yeah but tell that to the people who lost their jobs and homes! My family almost lost our house in Spokane.

Back then you literally had to go to the unemployment office in person if you wanted an update. No online portal, no automated phone system.

that sounds even worse than now. at least i can check my account online even if it never changes

The job search requirements now are still pretty strict - you have to log 3 job search activities per week and register with WorkSourceWA.

True, but at least now you can do some of those activities online. Back then you had to physically go places and get signatures.

Interesting parallel to today with tech layoffs hitting Seattle so hard. Different industries but same economic disruption.

At least tech workers usually have savings and better severance packages than factory workers did in 82

LOL so true! The secure access washington portal is such a nightmare to navigate

Hey at least it's not paper forms anymore. My uncle said in 82 you had to mail everything and wait weeks just to know if they received it.

That's exactly why I ended up using Claimyr. I was tracking my calls too and it was driving me crazy. Much better to let them handle the calling while I focused on job searching.

Did that actually work for you? I'm skeptical of paying for something that should be free.

I get the skepticism, but when you're losing unemployment income every day you wait, sometimes you have to be practical about solutions.

Good point. The 1982 recession was cyclical, not structural. Most of those manufacturing jobs did come back, at least for a while.

Yeah my grandpa got rehired at the mill in 1984 and worked there until he retired. That doesn't happen anymore.

They probably have the data somewhere but good luck getting them to share it. They can barely handle current claims let alone historical analysis.

I work in data analysis and from what I've heard through professional contacts, the average processing time in 82 was actually better than today despite the volume. Less bureaucracy.

That's because everything has to go through multiple approval levels now. The front-line agents can't make decisions.

Which is why I was surprised when the Claimyr service actually got me to someone who could resolve my issue. Maybe they route you to different agents?

True, but wages were also higher relative to cost of living in many sectors. A manufacturing job could support a family of four.

Yeah but try buying a house with an 18% mortgage rate. My parents couldn't afford to buy until rates came down in the mid-80s.

That's what worries me about my claim being stuck. In 82 at least people knew it was temporary. Now who knows when things will get better.

The recovery was swift because they had room to cut interest rates. Now rates are already low so the Fed has fewer tools.

I think they moved offices several times. The current building on Capitol Way opened in the 90s I believe.

Wait, you can actually go there in person? I thought everything was online now.

You can go but they barely help with anything. Told me to call the phone number like everyone else.

At least we're more diversified now than in 82. Back then it was basically Boeing, lumber, and agriculture.

True but tech companies can lay off thousands at once now. In 82 the layoffs were more gradual.