Washington ESD unemployment rate hit 15% - which year was that exactly?

That makes sense with the timing. Do you know if it was specifically 15% or just around that range?

It was definitely in that ballpark. I remember because I was laid off then and the Washington ESD system was completely overwhelmed.

Thank you! That's exactly what I was looking for. 16.3% in April 2020 - that's even higher than I thought.

Yeah that was a crazy time. I remember trying to file for unemployment and the Washington ESD website kept crashing because so many people were applying at once.

Same here! I spent weeks trying to get through. If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD now, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to an agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Absolutely. The entire job market just disappeared overnight in so many industries.

That's really helpful context. So it went from around 3% to 16% in just a matter of months?

Yes, it happened incredibly fast. February 2020 was at 3.8%, then by April it had quadrupled to over 16%. The speed of the change was as shocking as the rate itself.

Wow, you must have some stories! What was it like from the inside?

It was overwhelming. Our systems weren't built to handle that volume of claims. We were processing more claims in a week than we normally did in several months.

That explains why it was so hard to get through! I bet you guys were working around the clock.

How much does something like that cost though?

I don't remember the exact price but it was worth it for me to avoid spending hours on hold. Much better than the frustration of calling yourself.

That's good to know! How does the recovery compare to previous recessions?

The recovery was actually faster than the 2008-2009 recession, though the initial drop was much steeper. Different economic forces at play.

Thanks for the tip! I'll check that out for more detailed numbers.

Sorry you had to go through that. Hope things worked out okay for you in the end.

Thanks! It took a while but eventually got back on my feet. The unemployment benefits definitely helped during those tough months.

Interesting! So 2020 was actually worse than the 1980s recession in terms of unemployment rate?

In terms of the peak rate, yes. Though the 1980s recession lasted longer overall. The 2020 spike was more sudden and sharp.

Oh god yes! I remember setting alarms to try logging in at like 3am thinking there might be less traffic.

That's exactly why services like Claimyr became so popular. People were desperate for any way to actually reach someone at Washington ESD without dealing with all the technical issues.

Good point! I might have been mixing up state vs national numbers. Washington was actually higher at 16.3%.

Perfect, thank you everyone! This has been incredibly helpful. 16.3% in April 2020 is exactly what I needed to know.