What is structural unemployment and how does it affect Washington ESD benefits?

Structural unemployment is when there's a mismatch between the skills workers have and what employers need. It's different from regular unemployment because the jobs that disappeared aren't coming back - the whole industry or occupation is changing. In your case with retail, yes this could be structural unemployment since many retail jobs have been replaced by online shopping and automation.

I'm in the same boat - worked in newspaper printing for 15 years before everything went digital. Been collecting UI benefits for 6 months now and it's tough. The job search requirements don't really account for the fact that my entire industry basically vanished.

For what it's worth, I had luck getting through to Washington ESD to discuss my situation when I was dealing with something similar. I used claimyr.com - it's a service that helps you actually reach an agent by phone. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Sometimes talking to a real person at Washington ESD can help clarify what options you have.

The technical definition is that structural unemployment happens when the economy changes in ways that make certain skills obsolete. Think coal miners when everyone switched to natural gas, or travel agents when booking websites took over. It's not temporary like cyclical unemployment - these changes are permanent.

I hate to say it but structural unemployment is why I ended up going back to school at 45. My manufacturing job got automated away and there just weren't comparable positions available anymore. Used my unemployment benefits to help support myself while retraining in healthcare.

This whole thing is so frustrating. The government talks about how the economy is doing great but meanwhile entire industries are disappearing and people like us are left behind. Washington ESD treats everyone the same whether you lost your job because of a recession or because robots took over.

wait so if my job disappeared because of technology changes, that's different from being laid off? i thought unemployment was unemployment

I'm an economist and I can tell you that structural unemployment is one of the hardest types to deal with. Unlike cyclical unemployment where jobs come back when the economy improves, structural unemployment requires workers to essentially rebuild their careers. The skills mismatch can take years to resolve.

Just wanted to follow up on the Claimyr thing - I actually used it again last week to talk to someone at Washington ESD about training program approval. Got through in about 20 minutes instead of spending days trying to call. Definitely worth it if you need to discuss your specific situation with an actual person.

Update on my situation - I finally got approved for a retraining program through WorkSourceWA. It took forever to get all the paperwork sorted out with Washington ESD but now I don't have to do job searches while I'm in school. There is hope for those of us dealing with structural unemployment.

The sad reality is that structural unemployment affects older workers the most. Companies would rather hire someone fresh out of college than retrain a 50-year-old. Age discrimination is real even if no one talks about it.

For anyone dealing with structural unemployment, I'd recommend looking into these resources: WorkSourceWA for job search assistance and training programs, community college career counseling, and industry-specific retraining grants. Don't wait until your UI benefits run out to start exploring these options.

My brother went through this when Blockbuster went out of business. He was a store manager for 12 years and suddenly that experience meant nothing because video rental stores don't exist anymore. Classic structural unemployment.

I think people confuse structural unemployment with just having a hard time finding work. Structural unemployment specifically means the fundamental structure of the economy has changed. If retail jobs still existed but you just couldn't find one, that would be different.

been unemployed for 8 months now after my call center got moved overseas. is that structural unemployment too? feels like all the decent paying jobs that don't require a college degree are disappearing

One more thing about getting help from Washington ESD - if you're dealing with structural unemployment and considering retraining, definitely try to speak with an actual counselor rather than just going through the automated systems. Services like Claimyr can help you get through to someone who can walk you through your options properly.

The thing about structural unemployment is that it's not your fault but it becomes your problem to solve. Society benefits from technological progress but individual workers bear the cost of adaptation. It's fundamentally unfair but that's how the system works.

Quick question - if I'm dealing with structural unemployment, should I mention that in my weekly claim certifications? Or does Washington ESD not care about the reason as long as I'm looking for work?

I feel for everyone going through this. Lost my job as a bank teller when they automated everything and went to online banking. Been on UI for 4 months now and every job I apply for either requires skills I don't have or pays minimum wage. The middle is just gone.

Not to be negative but I think we're all going to have to get used to changing careers multiple times. The pace of change is so fast now that no job is really secure long-term. Structural unemployment might become the norm rather than the exception.