Washington ESD unemployment rate tracking - what is the highest rate of unemployment the past five years?

That 16.3% figure sounds right based on what I remember from news reports. Do you know if that included people on standby status or just regular UI claims?

The official unemployment rate includes all unemployed people actively seeking work, so it would include those on standby as long as they were available for work and meeting job search requirements.

Same here! I couldn't get through on the phone for weeks. The system was completely overwhelmed. That's when I learned about Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they have this service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents without waiting on hold for hours. There's even a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ

never heard of that before but sounds useful. wish i had known about it back then

This is exactly the kind of breakdown I needed! Do you know if Washington ESD publishes these statistics regularly somewhere?

Yes, Washington ESD publishes monthly labor market reports on their website. The data includes unemployment rates, job growth, and industry breakdowns. Very useful for research projects.

those numbers seem high to me but i guess the pandemic was crazy times

You're absolutely right about the system being overwhelmed. The adjudication delays were insane. I know someone who used Claimyr to finally reach a Washington ESD agent after months of trying. Really helped them get their claim status sorted out.

never heard of claimyr but at this point ill try anything if i ever need to deal with esd again

That's a great point to include! Makes the data more meaningful with context.

Good observation. Washington's tech industry and essential services helped cushion the blow compared to states more dependent on tourism or hospitality.

Yes, it was essentially overnight when the lockdowns started. Restaurants, retail, entertainment venues all shut down simultaneously. Millions of people filed for unemployment within weeks.

no wonder the system couldnt handle it

That's incredible to think about - a whole year's worth of claims in one month.

yeah but try calling them now and you still get put on hold forever. some things never change

That's why services like Claimyr are still helpful - they handle the calling and waiting so you don't have to sit on hold all day.

Wow, so COVID unemployment was even worse than the 2008 financial crisis?

Much worse in terms of the sudden spike, but the 2008 recession lasted longer. COVID unemployment was sharp but recovered faster in most sectors.

That's exactly what I'm talking about! The system was completely broken!

yeah she was so frustrated. ended up having to borrow money from family just to pay rent

Perfect suggestion! I'll look for that report to get more granular data for my presentation.

Those county breakdowns are really interesting - some rural areas had much higher rates than Seattle/Tacoma metro during the pandemic.

As of late 2024, Washington's unemployment rate is around 4.2%, which is considered close to full employment. Much better than the pandemic peak!

thats good to hear. felt like we'd never recover from that mess

Glad we could help! Good luck with your presentation.

Hope it goes well! These kinds of local economic discussions are really important for community understanding.

That's a really important point about the hidden numbers. I should mention that limitation in my presentation.

EXACTLY! The real numbers were probably much higher because the system was so broken people couldn't even file!

Great point! I'll definitely include that positive recovery story alongside the peak numbers.

The tech sector really helped drive that recovery, along with federal stimulus programs and enhanced unemployment benefits.

It really was a historic economic event. The speed of both the collapse and recovery was unprecedented.

makes me appreciate having a job right now thats for sure