What happens if I get a job while on unemployment in Washington ESD?

That's a relief! So I just report the gross earnings from the job when I do my weekly claim?

Exactly! Report the gross amount you earned during the week you're claiming, not when you get paid. So if you work Monday-Friday, report those earnings on your weekly claim for that week.

Yikes, how much did you have to pay back? I definitely don't want to deal with that.

It was like $1,200 because I hadn't reported work for 3 weeks. They caught it when they did a quarterly wage match with employers. Just be honest about everything and you'll be fine.

How much does something like that cost? I'm already tight on money.

It's worth it when you need to talk to someone quickly. I was able to get my questions answered in like 10 minutes instead of spending hours trying to get through on the phone.

I've heard of Claimyr but never tried it. Does it actually work or is it just another scam?

Wait, so I'd get $197 + $360 = $557 total per week? That's actually more than just unemployment alone!

Exactly! That's the incentive to work part-time while on unemployment. You come out ahead financially, which is the whole point of the program.

Is there a limit to how much you can earn and still get partial benefits?

Good to know! So as long as I stay under $700 per week, I'll still get some benefits.

What if you get overtime one week and go over the limit? Do you lose benefits permanently?

That's actually pretty reasonable. I was worried it would be an all-or-nothing thing.

Yeah, it seems like they designed it to encourage people to work, which makes sense.

Oh good point! I'm working exactly 20 hours so I probably still need to do job searches.

Actually, I think if you're working 20+ hours you might be exempt from job search requirements. Check your WorkSource account to be sure.

Yes, contractor income is treated differently. You still have to report it, but the calculation might be different. You should definitely call Washington ESD about that.

That's exactly the kind of situation where Claimyr would be helpful. Complex questions like that really need to be answered by an actual agent.

Yes, all income including tips needs to be reported. Even if it's cash tips that don't show up on your paystub.

Ugh, that's going to be a pain to track. I guess I need to start keeping better records.

Benefits like health insurance don't count as income for unemployment purposes. Only your actual wages/salary count toward the earnings calculation.

That's good to know. Thanks!

Yes, all self-employment income needs to be reported too. Gig work, freelancing, selling stuff online - it all counts.

Good thing I've been reporting it then. I was worried I might be missing something.

Yes, you can start and stop work without losing your unemployment claim as long as you're still within your benefit year. If you work full-time for a week, you just won't get benefits for that week.

So I don't have to reapply or anything? I can just resume filing weekly claims?

Exactly. Just keep filing your weekly claims and report whatever you earned that week, even if it's zero.

I agree! I was so worried I was going to mess something up. This thread has been super helpful.

Yeah, that's why I ended up using Claimyr. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person who can explain things clearly.

That's a good point. So it's based on when I perform the work, not when I receive the paycheck.

Exactly. The work week, not the pay week.

You just report whatever you actually earned each week. It doesn't matter that it varies - the calculation is done fresh each week based on that week's earnings.

So some weeks I'll get more unemployment benefits and some weeks less, depending on how much I worked?

Right! It's all calculated week by week.

That's a personal choice. You can choose to have taxes withheld from your unemployment benefits or not. Just remember you'll owe taxes on both your work income and unemployment benefits.

Thanks, I think I'll have them withhold taxes to avoid a big bill next year.

Nope, any job income counts the same way. Doesn't matter if it's in your field or not, full-time or part-time, permanent or temporary.

Good to know. I was thinking about taking a retail job even though I'm usually in tech.

I had the same worry! But it's totally legal and the employer doesn't really need to know the details of your unemployment situation.

Most employers understand that people are on unemployment between jobs. It's pretty normal, especially with part-time work.

Same here! I start my job on Monday and now I know exactly what to do.

Good luck with the new job! Just remember to be honest about your earnings and you'll be fine.

How long did it take them to get you connected to an agent?

Maybe 15 minutes total? Way better than the 2+ hours I spent trying to call myself.