Who pays for unemployment benefits in Washington - employers or taxpayers?

Your brother doesn't know what he's talking about. Unemployment insurance in Washington is funded by employer taxes, not general taxpayer funds. Employers pay into the UI trust fund based on their payroll and experience rating.

yeah employers pay but we all end up paying for it anyway through higher prices and stuff

I had to deal with Washington ESD for months trying to get through to someone about my claim status. The phone lines are always busy and it's impossible to reach an agent. I finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person at Washington ESD. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Saved me hours of calling.

To be more specific about funding - Washington employers pay unemployment taxes on the first $62,500 of each employee's annual wages. The tax rate varies by employer based on their history of layoffs (experience rating). Companies that lay off more workers pay higher rates.

This is why I hate the stigma around unemployment!! We literally worked and our employers paid into this system. It's not welfare, it's insurance that we earned the right to use.

does the state government put any money into unemployment or is it all from employers?

My company's HR manager explained this when they laid me off. She said our unemployment taxes go into a state trust fund that pays out benefits. Made me feel less bad about filing.

The trust fund thing is important to understand. During recessions when lots of people claim benefits, the fund can run low and the state might need to borrow from the federal government. But it's still employer-funded in principle.

still think we all pay for it one way or another but whatever makes you feel better

I tried Claimyr after seeing it mentioned here and it actually worked. Got connected to Washington ESD in about 20 minutes instead of calling all day. Worth checking out if you need to talk to someone there.

been on unemployment twice in my career and never knew the details about employer funding. thanks for the education everyone

Your brother needs to mind his own business. You paid into this system through your work just like you pay into Social Security. It's an earned benefit.

Washington ESD should do a better job explaining this stuff. So many people don't understand how unemployment insurance actually works.

can confirm about the trust fund thing - I work in payroll and we pay UI taxes every quarter. It's just part of the cost of having employees, like workers comp or FICA taxes

I was skeptical about Claimyr but tried it when I couldn't get through to resolve a payment issue. Actually got connected to a Washington ESD agent who fixed my problem in 10 minutes. Sometimes you need help getting through their system.

Tell your brother that unemployment insurance is no different from any other insurance. Employers pay premiums (UI taxes) and workers file claims when they need benefits. It's how insurance works.

the stigma around unemployment benefits is ridiculous. people act like you're stealing money when you're literally using insurance you earned through working

Bottom line - you earned these benefits through your work history. Don't let anyone make you feel bad about using unemployment insurance when you need it.

wish more people understood how unemployment funding actually works. would cut down on a lot of the judgment and misinformation

OP you should feel proud of the fact that you're navigating the system and filing your weekly claims properly. That's not always easy with Washington ESD's website and requirements.