Washington ESD - what happens to unemployment when you get a job?

You definitely need to report the job on your weekly claim! Don't stop filing - you might still qualify for partial benefits depending on how much you earn. Washington ESD has a formula where they subtract your weekly earnings from your benefit amount. Keep filing every week and report all your hours and gross wages accurately.

Congrats on the job! Yes, keep filing your weekly claims and report everything. With part-time work, you can often still get partial unemployment benefits. Washington ESD will calculate your benefit based on what you earn vs your weekly benefit amount. The key is being totally honest about your hours and wages.

Just went through this myself! I got a part-time job in retail and was able to keep getting partial benefits for months. The important thing is reporting everything correctly on your weekly claims. Don't try to hide anything or you'll end up with an overpayment notice later.

Had to deal with this exact situation last year when I couldn't get through to Washington ESD about my partial benefits questions. I was getting hung up on constantly when trying to call. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a real person at Washington ESD. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me hours of frustration trying to get answers about working while on unemployment.

wait so you dont have to stop claiming unemployment just because you get a job? i thought any work meant you lose benefits

The formula Washington ESD uses is pretty straightforward. They take your gross weekly earnings, subtract $5, then subtract that amount from your weekly benefit. So if your benefit is $400/week and you earn $200, you'd get $195 in unemployment ($400 - $200 - $5 = $195).

OMG this is so confusing!! I'm terrified of messing up my claim. What if I report the wrong amount or forget to mention something? Will they come after me for fraud?

Been there! When I started my consulting gig while on unemployment, I was super worried about the reporting. The key things to remember: report ALL hours worked, report GROSS wages (before taxes), and do it on the weekly claim for the week you actually worked. Don't overthink it.

One thing to keep in mind - you still have to do your job search activities if you're receiving any unemployment benefits, even partial ones. Don't stop looking for full-time work just because you have a part-time job.

This happened to me too and I was SO confused about the whole process. I kept trying to call Washington ESD but could never get through - always busy signals or getting disconnected. A friend told me about Claimyr and honestly it was a lifesaver. Got connected to an actual Washington ESD rep who explained exactly how partial benefits work.

just be super careful about reporting your hours correctly. i made a mistake once and had to pay back like $800. washington esd doesn't mess around with overpayments

The Washington ESD website actually has a pretty good calculator for partial benefits if you want to estimate what you might receive. It's under the 'Working While Receiving Benefits' section. Might help you plan your budget better.

What happens if the job doesn't work out and I quit or get fired? Can I go back to full unemployment benefits?

Pro tip: keep detailed records of all your hours and wages. I use a simple spreadsheet to track everything so when I file my weekly claim, I have all the info right there. Makes it much easier and less stressful.

Another thing - if your part-time job has irregular hours (like some weeks 20 hours, some weeks 30), just report whatever you actually worked that week. Don't try to average it out or anything like that. Report the actual hours for each specific week.

I remember being in your exact situation! The anxiety about messing up your unemployment claim while starting a new job is real. But honestly, Washington ESD's system handles partial benefits pretty well. Just be honest and accurate with your reporting and you'll be fine.

One last thing - make sure your employer knows you're on unemployment. Some employers get weird about it but they can't legally discriminate against you for it. And if they ask you to work more hours, you can always decline if you want to keep your partial benefits going.

Update on my Claimyr experience - I ended up using them again when I had questions about my benefit year ending while working part-time. The Washington ESD agent they connected me with was super helpful explaining how to transition between claim years. Definitely recommend if you run into complex situations.

Congrats on the job! Just remember that even though it's part-time now, having that work history and reference will help when you're looking for full-time positions. And the partial unemployment helps bridge the gap financially.

The weekly claim questions about work are pretty straightforward - they ask if you worked, how many hours, and your gross earnings. Don't stress too much about the exact format, just answer honestly and completely.