Washington ESD unemployment rate calculations - how is unemployment measured here?

That makes sense, so the unemployment rate isn't just Washington ESD claimants then?

Exactly. Many unemployed people never file for benefits or aren't eligible, so the rate includes everyone actively seeking work.

Yeah that's a common misconception! The actual unemployment rate includes people who aren't getting benefits too.

Have you tried using Claimyr? I found out about it recently and it actually got me through to a Washington ESD agent. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Might help if you need to speak with someone directly about unemployment statistics or your claim.

Never heard of that, is it legit? I'm so frustrated with not being able to get through.

Yeah it's real, you can check it out at claimyr.com. They help you get connected when the lines are busy.

So if someone gives up looking for work completely, they're not counted anymore?

Correct, those are called 'discouraged workers' and they're not included in the standard unemployment rate calculation.

This is why the real unemployment situation is often worse than the official numbers suggest.

Wow, that's lower than I expected. Why don't more people qualify?

Lots of reasons - some didn't work long enough, others were fired for misconduct, some are new to the workforce. Washington has specific eligibility requirements.

No, filing weekly claims with Washington ESD doesn't determine if you're counted as unemployed in the official statistics. Those are based on household surveys, not benefit claims.

oh ok that makes more sense then

While there are legitimate criticisms of how unemployment is measured, the methodology is standardized and transparent. The issue you're describing is why economists also track other metrics like labor force participation rates.

Still doesn't change the fact that the numbers don't reflect reality for most working people.

Only 1,600 households for the whole state? That seems like a really small sample.

It's statistically representative when done properly. The margin of error is usually around 0.3 percentage points for the statewide rate.

No problem! I figured others might be curious too.

Glad it helped! Yeah Washington ESD tracks lots of different metrics internally that don't always make it into the public reports.

What kind of other breakdowns do they have?

Things like duration of unemployment, industry breakdowns, reasons for separation from previous job, stuff like that.

Can you explain the difference more clearly?

Unemployment rate measures who's looking for work (survey-based). Claims data measures who's receiving benefits (administrative records). They track different populations.

Yeah, there's a lot of nuance to labor statistics that most people don't realize.

That's interesting - so standby workers count differently than regular job seekers?

They're both counted as unemployed, but standby workers don't need to prove they're actively searching since they expect to return to their previous employer.

What do you mean? What do people get confused about?

Like thinking if you work even one hour a week you're not unemployed, or thinking being on disability means you're unemployed. The definitions are very specific.

Makes sense that different areas would have different rates.

Yeah, and the seasonal adjustments vary by region too since some areas are more affected by seasonal employment patterns.

How much does it cost though?

I don't want to focus on price but it was definitely worth it to actually speak with someone instead of getting hung up on for weeks.

The methodology is transparent and standardized, which is different from manipulation. But I understand the frustration with how these numbers get interpreted politically.

Glad we could help clarify the distinction between the different types of unemployment data.

Yeah, it's one of those things that seems simple on the surface but has a lot of complexity underneath.

Right? I had no idea it was so different from just counting benefit recipients.

So the number we see in the news isn't the raw count?

Usually it's the seasonally adjusted rate, which makes it easier to compare across different months and identify trends.

Both numbers are typically available if you dig into the full Labor Area Summary reports from Washington ESD.