What time does Washington ESD unemployment phone lines open - can't get through

Washington ESD customer service opens at 8:00 AM Monday through Friday. But honestly, the phone lines are swamped from the moment they open. I've had better luck calling right at 8:00 AM sharp, but even then it's hit or miss.

The phone lines are 8 AM to 4:30 PM, but the system gets overwhelmed immediately. I recommend trying different times throughout the day, not just first thing in the morning when everyone else is calling. Sometimes I've gotten through around lunch time or mid-afternoon.

honestly I gave up trying to call and just used claimyr.com - they actually got me connected to a Washington ESD agent within a few minutes. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Way better than spending hours trying to get through myself.

THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!! I've been calling for 6 weeks and haven't gotten through ONCE. They expect us to just wait forever while our bills pile up. This is ridiculous.

Pro tip: if you do get through to the automated system, don't hang up if you get put on hold. I've waited 2+ hours before but eventually got connected to a real person. The key is persistence.

Try calling the different numbers - there's the main customer service line but also specific lines for different issues. Sometimes one is less busy than the others.

I work nights so I call right when they open at 8am and I'm usually asleep during normal hours anyway. Even calling at 8am sharp I still get busy signals most of the time though.

My neighbor told me about Claimyr too after she used it to get through about her overpayment issue. She said it was worth it just to avoid the endless calling. Might be worth looking into if you're really stuck.

Just keep trying. I called every day for 3 weeks and finally got through on a Wednesday around 2pm. Sometimes it's just luck of the draw.

I heard Fridays are the worst because everyone's trying to file their weekly claims and call customer service at the same time. Maybe avoid Fridays if possible.

ok so I just tried that Claimyr thing and it actually worked! Got connected to a Washington ESD agent in about 15 minutes. They helped me figure out why my claim was stuck in adjudication - turns out I needed to submit additional job search documentation. Problem solved!

The Washington ESD website says they're open 8-4:30 but honestly those hours don't mean much when you can't actually get through. The whole system needs an overhaul.

Try calling on your lunch break if you're working. Sometimes mid-day is less busy than first thing in the morning.

I spent my entire morning trying to get through yesterday and got nothing. This is why people end up using services like Claimyr - the regular system is just broken.

Update: I just got through using normal calling after trying for 2 weeks! Called at 10:30am on a Tuesday and waited on hold for about 45 minutes but finally talked to someone. Don't give up!