Washington ESD - why is 0% unemployment not an attainable goal we would want to attain?

Great question! The main reason 0% unemployment isn't desirable comes down to something called 'frictional unemployment' - this is the natural time it takes people to move between jobs. Even in a perfect economy, people quit jobs to find better ones, recent graduates look for their first position, and workers relocate. This transition period is actually healthy because it means people can shop around for better opportunities rather than being stuck in unsuitable positions.

There's also structural unemployment to consider. This happens when there's a mismatch between the skills workers have and what employers need. Technology changes, industries evolve, and some jobs become obsolete while new ones are created. Having some unemployment allows the labor market to adjust and gives people time to retrain or relocate for new opportunities.

Another important factor is wage inflation. If unemployment drops too low (economists call this below the 'natural rate'), employers have to compete harder for workers by raising wages rapidly. While higher wages sound good, if they rise too fast across the economy, it can trigger problematic inflation that hurts everyone, especially people on fixed incomes.

dont forget about seasonal unemployment too! some industries like agriculture construction and tourism naturally have busy and slow seasons even in a healthy economy people in these fields expect periods of unemployment

From a business perspective, some unemployment also provides a labor pool that companies can tap when they need to expand quickly. If literally everyone was employed, businesses couldn't grow or respond to increased demand without poaching workers from competitors, which drives up costs.

There's also cyclical unemployment during recessions which is different from the natural unemployment types mentioned above. This is the 'bad' unemployment that we do want to minimize through good economic policy.

I was skeptical about using services to contact Washington ESD, but after being on hold for literally hours multiple times, I tried Claimyr and they got me through to an agent the same day. Sometimes you need help navigating bureaucracy.

Another angle: if unemployment was truly 0%, it might indicate the economy is overheated or that people can't afford to leave bad jobs to look for better ones. Some unemployment reflects people having the financial freedom to be choosy about work.

Think about it this way - in a dynamic economy, some creative destruction is healthy. Old industries decline, new ones emerge, and workers need time to transition. 0% unemployment might mean the economy is too rigid to adapt to change.

been dealing with washington esd for months now and honestly the whole system seems designed to make you give up... anyone else feel like they deliberately make it hard to get benefits?

Going back to the original question - economists also worry about something called the Phillips Curve, which shows the relationship between unemployment and inflation. Very low unemployment can lead to wage-price spirals that hurt the overall economy.

Thanks everyone for the detailed explanations. I had no idea there were so many economic factors involved. It makes sense now why some unemployment is actually necessary for a healthy economy, even though it's tough for individuals going through it.

This is such a helpful discussion! As someone currently navigating the Washington ESD system myself, I appreciate learning about the economic theory behind unemployment rates. It's fascinating that what seems counterintuitive - that some unemployment is actually good - makes perfect sense when you break down frictional, structural, and seasonal unemployment. I never realized that 0% unemployment could indicate an overheated economy or lack of job mobility. While I'm still frustrated waiting for my adjudication to complete, understanding that unemployment benefits serve as a bridge during these natural economic transitions makes the system feel more purposeful rather than just bureaucratic hassle.