Washington ESD keeps mentioning 'natural unemployment' - what does this actually mean for my claim?

Natural unemployment is an economics term that refers to the baseline level of unemployment that exists even in a healthy economy - it includes people who are between jobs, just entered the workforce, or are transitioning careers. Washington ESD staff sometimes reference it when explaining why certain claim processing takes longer during normal economic periods versus recession periods.

ive heard that term too but honestly the washington esd reps sometimes just throw around fancy words when they dont want to explain the real reason for delays... my claim was stuck for 6 weeks and they kept giving me different explanations

I had a similar experience where Washington ESD mentioned economic terms that didn't seem relevant to my situation. After weeks of getting nowhere with regular calls, I found Claimyr (claimyr.com) which helps you actually connect with ESD agents without spending hours on hold. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows exactly how it works. Made all the difference in getting my adjudication issues resolved.

The 'natural unemployment' thing is probably just the rep trying to sound knowledgeable. What you really need to focus on is whether your claim has any actual issues that need resolution. Check your SecureAccess Washington account for any action items or outstanding requirements.

NATURAL UNEMPLOYMENT IS NOT A REAL THING THAT AFFECTS YOUR CLAIM!! These Washington ESD people just make stuff up when they don't know the answer. I've been dealing with this system for months and half the things they tell you are complete nonsense.

Been there with the confusing explanations from Washington ESD staff. The key is getting someone on the phone who actually knows what they're talking about, which is easier said than done with their call volume.

Just wanted to add that 'natural unemployment' typically runs around 4-5% in a healthy economy. It includes frictional unemployment (people between jobs) and structural unemployment (skills mismatch). Washington ESD might reference this when discussing overall claim volumes, but it has zero bearing on your individual claim status.

omg this is so frustrating!!! why cant they just give straight answers about why our claims take forever to process instead of throwing around economics terms???

I work in economics and can confirm that natural unemployment is a real concept, but it's definitely not something that would be mentioned in relation to individual claims. Sounds like you got a rep who was either confused or trying to sound more knowledgeable than they actually were about unemployment systems.

This reminds me of when I was dealing with my claim last year and the Washington ESD rep started explaining NAIRU (Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment) to me. I was like, I just want to know why my payment is late! Sometimes they go off on tangents that have nothing to do with your actual problem.

The bottom line is that individual unemployment claims shouldn't be affected by macroeconomic concepts like natural unemployment rates. Your claim is processed based on your work history, reason for separation, and whether you meet weekly eligibility requirements. If there are delays, it's usually due to verification needs or adjudication backlogs.

just want to say that using claimyr was worth it for me when i had similar confusion about my claim status... got connected to someone who actually looked at my specific case instead of giving generic explanations

Natural unemployment includes people who quit jobs to look for better opportunities, recent graduates entering the workforce, and people re-entering after time away. It's considered 'natural' because it exists even when the economy is doing well. But like everyone said, this has nothing to do with your claim processing speed.

Washington ESD staff vary wildly in their knowledge level. Some are super helpful and knowledgeable, others seem to be reading from scripts or making things up. The natural unemployment comment was probably just someone trying to fill dead air while they figured out your actual claim status.

been through this runaround before... if your claims are pending without any clear reason shown in your account, there's probably an adjudication issue that needs manual review. the economic theory stuff is just fluff

Update on the Claimyr thing - I ended up trying it after reading these comments and it actually worked. Got connected to a Washington ESD rep who explained that my claim had been flagged for identity verification (which wasn't showing anywhere in my online account). Finally making progress after weeks of confusion.