Washington ESD - how can unemployment be reduced in our state?
Been thinking about this after being on unemployment for 6 months now. I keep hearing politicians talk about reducing unemployment but what actually works? I've been doing my job searches through WorkSource but feels like there's not enough good paying jobs out there. Anyone know what Washington state is actually doing to help reduce unemployment rates? My benefits run out in December and I'm getting worried about the job market.
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Carmen Vega
The state has several workforce development programs through WorkSource that provide job training and placement services. They also offer retraining programs for workers in declining industries. The key is matching skills with available jobs rather than just creating more jobs.
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Yuki Kobayashi
•I looked into some WorkSource training programs but the wait lists are really long. Applied for a IT certification program 3 months ago and still haven't heard back.
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Andre Rousseau
•Same here, tried to get into the healthcare training program and they said it would be 8 months before they could start me
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Zoe Stavros
Infrastructure investment is huge for reducing unemployment. When the state invests in roads bridges public transit it creates immediate construction jobs plus long term economic benefits that attract businesses. Washington's transportation budget has created thousands of jobs over the past few years.
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Jamal Harris
•True but those are mostly temporary construction jobs. What happens when the projects are done?
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Zoe Stavros
•The economic multiplier effect means those temporary jobs create permanent ones - more businesses move to areas with better infrastructure, existing businesses expand, property values increase.
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GalaxyGlider
honestly the biggest issue is contacting Washington ESD when you need help with your claim. I spent weeks trying to get through to someone about my adjudication and couldn't reach anyone. Finally found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually got me connected to an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Makes me wonder how many people give up on benefits because they can't get help.
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Mei Wong
•Wait what's Claimyr? Never heard of that before
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GalaxyGlider
•It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD phone lines. Saved me tons of time and frustration trying to reach someone about my claim status.
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Yuki Kobayashi
•Interesting, might have to check that out if I run into issues with my claim
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Andre Rousseau
Small business support is critical. Most jobs come from small businesses not big corporations. Washington needs more programs to help people start businesses and support existing small businesses with tax breaks and reduced regulations.
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Liam Sullivan
•But doesn't reducing regulations just lead to more exploitation of workers?
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Andre Rousseau
•Not necessarily. Streamlining bureaucracy and reducing paperwork burdens helps small business owners focus on growing and hiring rather than compliance.
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Jamal Harris
Education and skills training are the long term solution. Too many people don't have the skills for jobs that are actually available. Washington should invest more in community colleges and trade schools.
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Carmen Vega
•Washington already has some of the best community college systems in the country. The issue is connecting training to actual job opportunities.
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Amara Okafor
•Also making sure training programs are affordable. Even with unemployment benefits it's hard to pay for school.
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Mei Wong
Geographic mobility is a big factor. Jobs might be available in Seattle or Spokane but if you live in a rural area you can't access them. Better transportation and remote work opportunities could help.
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Yuki Kobayashi
•Yeah I'm in Yakima and most of the good jobs seem to be on the west side. Can't afford to move with my current situation.
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Mei Wong
•That's exactly the problem. We need better regional economic development to spread opportunities around the state.
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Liam Sullivan
MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES! People won't take jobs that don't pay enough to live on. If Washington raised minimum wage to $20 statewide it would force employers to create better paying positions.
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Zoe Stavros
•That could backfire though. If labor costs get too high businesses might automate more jobs or move operations out of state.
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Liam Sullivan
•Workers deserve living wages period. Businesses that can't pay fair wages don't deserve to exist.
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Andre Rousseau
•It's more complex than that. We need to balance worker needs with business viability.
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Amara Okafor
Technology sector growth has been huge for Washington but it's also created inequality. Amazon Facebook Microsoft create high paying jobs but only for people with specific skills. We need more diverse economic development.
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Carmen Vega
•Tech companies do create spillover employment though - restaurants, services, construction, etc. The key is ensuring those secondary jobs pay decent wages too.
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Giovanni Colombo
Childcare support is massive. Lots of people especially women can't work because they can't afford childcare. State subsidies for childcare would put more people back to work.
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Yuki Kobayashi
•This is so true. My sister wants to work but daycare costs more than she'd make at most jobs.
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Giovanni Colombo
•Exactly! It's a catch-22 situation that keeps people out of the workforce unnecessarily.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
Tax incentives for hiring local workers could help. Give businesses breaks for hiring Washington residents who've been unemployed for more than 6 months.
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Zoe Stavros
•Some states have tried this with mixed results. The key is making sure it doesn't just subsidize hiring that would happen anyway.
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StarStrider
honestly half the problem is the unemployment system itself is so hard to navigate. took me forever to figure out the job search requirements and when I had questions about my claim I couldn't reach anyone at Washington ESD for weeks
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GalaxyGlider
•That's where Claimyr really helped me out. Instead of spending hours on hold I could actually get connected to someone who could answer my questions about adjudication.
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Dylan Campbell
Green energy jobs! Washington should invest heavily in solar wind and other renewable energy. Creates jobs while helping the environment.
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Mei Wong
•Washington already gets most power from hydroelectric. Solar and wind potential might be limited compared to other states.
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Dylan Campbell
•Still opportunities in manufacturing renewable energy equipment and energy efficiency retrofits.
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Sofia Torres
Immigration policy affects unemployment too. More workers can depress wages but immigrants also create businesses and demand for services.
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Liam Sullivan
•This is getting into political territory but research shows immigration generally has positive economic effects long term.
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Dmitry Sokolov
Mental health and substance abuse services. A lot of long term unemployed people have underlying issues that prevent them from working consistently.
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Carmen Vega
•Good point. Employment barriers often include health issues that aren't addressed in traditional job training programs.
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Ava Martinez
Remote work opportunities expanded during COVID and could help people in rural areas access urban jobs without relocating. State should encourage remote work policies.
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Yuki Kobayashi
•That would be amazing for people like me outside major metro areas.
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Miguel Ramos
Criminal justice reform. People with criminal records face huge barriers to employment even for minor offenses from years ago.
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Zoe Stavros
•Ban the box policies and expungement programs could help but there's still a lot of employer discrimination.
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QuantumQuasar
Housing costs are forcing people out of job markets. If you can't afford to live near where jobs are available you can't work. Affordable housing development is crucial.
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Amara Okafor
•Seattle housing costs are insane. Even with a decent job you can barely afford rent.
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Zainab Omar
Export promotion. Washington has ports and trade relationships that could be leveraged to create more manufacturing and logistics jobs.
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Andre Rousseau
•Trade wars and tariffs make this complicated but there's definitely potential in international commerce.
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Connor Gallagher
Seasonal unemployment is big in Washington with agriculture and tourism. Programs to help seasonal workers transition to year round employment or develop multiple income streams.
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Carmen Vega
•Portable benefits that follow workers between seasonal jobs could help with this transition.
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Yara Sayegh
Entrepreneurship education and microloans. Help people start their own businesses instead of just looking for traditional employment.
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Yuki Kobayashi
•I've thought about starting something but don't know where to begin and can't risk losing my UI benefits.
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Yara Sayegh
•There are programs that let you keep some benefits while starting a business. Might be worth looking into.
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Keisha Johnson
Better coordination between Washington ESD, WorkSource, and community colleges. Right now it feels like separate systems that don't talk to each other.
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StarStrider
•Yes! And when you need help navigating any of these systems good luck getting someone on the phone. That Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier might help with the Washington ESD part at least.
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