Washington ESD unemployment rates hitting historic lows - harder to qualify now?

That's reassuring I guess. I just keep seeing all these news stories about record low unemployment and wondering if that meant they were being pickier about who gets benefits.

Nah, your individual case gets evaluated on its own merits. They're looking at why you separated from work, not what the national unemployment rate is.

Have you tried using Claimyr? I found out about it recently and it actually got me through to a real Washington ESD agent. They have this system that calls for you and waits on hold, then connects you when someone picks up. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Never heard of that before. Does it actually work or is it just another scam?

It's legit - check out claimyr.com. I was skeptical too but I was desperate after calling Washington ESD for hours with no luck. Worth trying if you're stuck.

So it's just bad luck that I'm stuck waiting? There's nothing about the current job market that would make them more careful about approving claims?

Exactly. Your claim gets processed based on Washington state unemployment law, not economic trends. If you were laid off through no fault of your own, that's what matters.

Did you have to call them for the interview or did they call you? I'm worried I'm going to miss something important.

They called me and left a voicemail with a specific time to call back. Make sure your phone number is updated in your Washington ESD account.

How did you finally get through when you called back? I've been trying to reach them for my interview and keep getting busy signals.

I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Saved me hours of calling. Really glad I found it because I was about to give up.

Appeal hearings are handled by a different office than initial claims. Those delays are unfortunately normal and not related to current unemployment rates either.

Everything about this system takes forever. At least when unemployment was higher during the pandemic they had more staff.

That's awesome! Maybe I should try it too. Did they say anything about why adjudication is taking so long lately?

she said they're just backed up with cases. nothing to do with unemployment rates being low, just normal processing delays.

Glad it worked out! That's exactly what I used it for - getting actual answers about claim status instead of just waiting and wondering.

That makes sense. I have been seeing more job postings lately compared to a few years ago.

Right, but the weekly job search requirements are the same regardless. You still need to document 3 job search activities per week in Washington.

This is helpful context. I was wondering the same thing as OP about whether economic conditions affected approval rates.

The rules are the rules regardless of broader economic trends. Focus on making sure your claim information is accurate and complete.

Try Claimyr if you haven't already - claimyr.com. It's been a game changer for actually reaching Washington ESD agents when you need answers about your claim.

is it expensive? i'm unemployed so money is tight right now

It's worth it compared to spending hours calling yourself. Plus if you can get your claim resolved faster, you'll get your benefits sooner.

glad you got answers! that's exactly what happened to me too - just needed more documentation

Great news! Business closure verification is pretty standard adjudication stuff. You should be good to go once they process the documentation.

Nice that you found a solution. The uncertainty is the worst part of waiting for adjudication.

Exactly! I was overthinking it because of all the news coverage about record low unemployment.

Yeah, your individual situation is what matters to Washington ESD, not macroeconomic trends.