Washington ESD work hour limits - how many hours can you work and still get unemployment benefits?

The general rule in Washington is that you can work part-time and still collect unemployment as long as you report all your earnings and work hours on your weekly claim. There isn't a specific hour limit - it's more about your earnings. If you earn more than your weekly benefit amount plus $5, you won't get any UI payment that week. But you can still file to keep your claim active.

You also have to be available and actively looking for full-time work. Working 40 hours a week would probably disqualify you even if you made less than your benefit amount because you wouldn't be available for other work.

I've been dealing with Washington ESD for months about this exact issue. The key is being honest on your weekly claims about both hours worked AND earnings. They cross-reference with employer reports so don't try to hide anything. I actually used Claimyr.com to get through to an agent when I had questions about this - way easier than calling the regular number. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

wait im confused about the $5 thing?? i thought you could make up to like $200 without it affecting your benefits at all

The Washington ESD handbook says you can work part-time as long as you're still available for full-time work and you report everything. I think the confusion comes from people mixing up the rules for different benefit programs.

I work about 25 hours a week at a retail job and still get partial unemployment. As long as you report it correctly and don't make too much, you should be fine. The important thing is keeping your claim active even if you don't get paid some weeks.

MAKE SURE YOU REPORT EVERYTHING!!! I cannot stress this enough. Washington ESD will find out eventually and if you don't report your work they'll say you committed fraud and make you pay everything back plus penalties.

The job search requirement is still in effect too right? Even if you're working part time you still have to apply for jobs?

Honestly the whole system is confusing as hell. I've been calling Washington ESD for weeks trying to get clarification on my specific situation but their phone lines are always jammed. Might have to try that Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier.

One thing to watch out for - if your part-time job turns into full-time hours consistently, Washington ESD might consider you no longer eligible even if you're technically still looking for other work. Happened to my cousin.

Does anyone know if the rules are different for gig work like DoorDash or Uber? I'm thinking about doing some delivery driving but not sure how to report that.

The bottom line is Washington ESD wants you to work if you can find it, they just want to know about it. Part-time work is totally fine as long as you're honest and still available for full-time opportunities.

I had the same question when I started working part-time last month. Called Washington ESD using that Claimyr service and the agent explained everything clearly. Basically as long as you report hours and earnings correctly and stay under full-time status, you're good.

Just remember that every week is different. Some weeks you might work more hours, some less. As long as you report accurately each week, Washington ESD will calculate your benefit amount automatically.

Make sure you understand the difference between gross and net pay when reporting too. Some people get confused about which number to use.

This thread has been super helpful! I'm in a similar situation and was stressing about the rules. Sounds like as long as you're honest and don't work full-time hours consistently, you should be fine.

One thing I'd add is to keep detailed records of your work hours and earnings each week. I use a simple spreadsheet to track everything before I file my weekly claim - makes it so much easier to report accurately. Also, don't forget that holiday pay or bonuses from your part-time job need to be reported too. Washington ESD considers all compensation as earnings, not just your regular hourly wages.