Washington ESD - confused about what disguised unemployment means for my claim

Disguised unemployment usually refers to situations where people appear to be employed but are actually underemployed or working jobs that don't fully utilize their skills. In Washington ESD terms, it might relate to partial unemployment situations where you're working reduced hours.

I think you might be overthinking this. Disguised unemployment isn't really a Washington ESD classification that affects your benefits. It's more of an economic concept about hidden unemployment in the workforce.

You're right to be confused - this isn't standard Washington ESD terminology. For partial unemployment claims like yours, the key is accurately reporting your weekly earnings and hours worked. As long as you're earning less than your weekly benefit amount plus $5, you should qualify for partial benefits.

I had a similar situation last year with hour cuts and Washington ESD was actually pretty helpful about explaining partial unemployment. If you're having trouble getting through to ask questions about your specific case, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get connected to actual Washington ESD agents. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ

honestly i think youre fine, disguised unemployment sounds like some academic term not something washington esd actually uses for determining benefits

Just to clarify for anyone reading this - Washington ESD focuses on whether you're 'able and available' for work and accurately reporting your part-time earnings. The specific academic definition of disguised unemployment isn't relevant to your claim processing.

I work in workforce development and can confirm that disguised unemployment is more of a labor statistics concept than something that would affect your individual UI claim. Your situation sounds like textbook partial unemployment eligibility.

The Washington ESD system is complicated enough without worrying about terms they don't even use lol. Focus on your weekly claim filing and job search requirements.

I remember being confused about all sorts of unemployment terminology when I first filed. The important thing is understanding the actual Washington ESD processes - weekly claims, job search log, reporting requirements, etc.

For what it's worth, I've never seen disguised unemployment mentioned in any official Washington ESD communications or forms. You're probably safe to ignore it as far as your claim goes.

This thread is making me realize I also overthink unemployment terms sometimes. Thanks for asking the question OP, it helped clarify things for me too.

The key takeaway here is that Washington ESD cares about your actual work status and earnings, not academic classifications of unemployment types. Keep filing your weekly claims accurately and you should be fine.

Just wanted to follow up on the Claimyr thing I mentioned earlier - if you do need to talk to Washington ESD about your partial unemployment situation, it's been a lifesaver for actually getting through to someone who can give you definitive answers.

WASHINGTON ESD MAKES EVERYTHING SO CONFUSING WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT TERMS AND CATEGORIES. at least this thread helped clear up that disguised unemployment isn't something we need to worry about for our claims

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses. I was also wondering about this term and feeling anxious about whether I was missing something important for my claim.

This is why I love this forum - people help each other understand the confusing parts of the Washington ESD system. OP you're definitely overthinking this one but it's totally understandable.

Final thought - if you're ever unsure about Washington ESD terminology or requirements, their customer service can clarify things for your specific situation. Don't let confusing terms stress you out unnecessarily.

Really appreciate this discussion. I was also confused about various unemployment terms and this helped clarify that we should focus on actual Washington ESD processes rather than academic definitions.