What happens when you get a job while on unemployment with Washington ESD?

You definitely need to keep filing your weekly claims and report ALL work, even if it's just a few hours. Washington ESD has something called partial unemployment benefits where you can still get some money if you're working part-time. Don't stop filing completely or you might lose your claim entirely.

Been there! When you work part-time while on unemployment, Washington ESD deducts your earnings from your weekly benefit amount. There's a formula they use - I think you can earn up to a certain amount before it affects your benefits much. Just be super honest about reporting everything.

I had this exact situation last year and made the mistake of not reporting my part-time work right away because I thought it was temporary. Big mistake! I ended up having to call Washington ESD to explain everything and it was a nightmare trying to get through to someone. If I had to do it again, I'd probably use something like Claimyr.com to actually reach an agent quickly. They have this video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Here's what you need to know about working while on unemployment in Washington: You can earn up to your weekly benefit amount plus $5 before your benefits start getting reduced. So if your weekly benefit is $300, you can earn up to $305 in gross wages and still get your full unemployment payment. Anything over that gets deducted dollar for dollar from your benefits.

ugh the washington esd system is so confusing about this stuff!! i worked one day last month and forgot to report it and now they're asking for all this documentation. why cant they just make it simple???

One thing to watch out for - make sure your employer knows you're collecting unemployment. Some employers don't realize you can work part-time and still get benefits. I had one boss who thought I was trying to scam the system until I explained how partial benefits work.

Just a heads up - if your part-time job turns into full-time or if you get a second job that puts you over full-time hours, that's when you'd stop filing claims entirely. Washington ESD considers 40+ hours per week as full-time employment.

Another option if you need to talk to someone at Washington ESD about this - I mentioned Claimyr earlier but seriously, it's been a lifesaver. Instead of calling 50+ times trying to get through, they help you reach an actual person. Worth checking out if you have questions they can't answer online.

Make sure you keep good records of your work schedule and pay stubs. Washington ESD sometimes does random audits and you want to have everything documented properly. I learned this the hard way.

I've been working part-time for 3 months while collecting partial benefits and it's worked out great. Just be consistent with reporting and don't try to game the system. Washington ESD will eventually catch discrepancies.

Quick question - do you still have to do the job search requirements if you're working part-time? I always wondered about that.

this is all making me nervous about my situation too. i started a temp job last week and have been reporting it but now im worried i did something wrong because my benefit amount seems off

I used Claimyr a few months ago when I had questions about working while on unemployment. Honestly, it was such a relief to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD who could explain everything clearly. Way better than trying to figure it out from their website.

Pro tip: file your weekly claim on Sunday evenings. The system is usually less busy then and you're less likely to run into technical issues when reporting your work hours.

Don't forget that if your part-time job offers benefits like health insurance, that might affect your eligibility too. Worth asking about when you start.

Been in this exact situation. The key is just being 100% honest and consistent with your reporting. Washington ESD's system is pretty good at calculating partial benefits automatically once you input your work info correctly.

make sure your new job doesnt interfere with any job interviews you might have scheduled! learned that lesson the hard way when i had to choose between a shift and an interview

Congratulations on getting the job! Even if it's just part-time, it's a step in the right direction. The partial benefits will help bridge the gap until you find something full-time.

One last thing - keep copies of everything you submit to Washington ESD regarding your work. I save screenshots of my weekly claim submissions just in case there are ever any questions later.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice! I feel much more confident about handling this correctly now. I'll make sure to report everything honestly and keep good records. Really appreciate all the responses!