Why does Washington have high unemployment rates compared to other states?

Washington's unemployment rate actually fluctuates a lot by region and season. Seattle metro tends to be lower while rural areas can spike higher. The tech industry layoffs in 2023-2024 definitely impacted the numbers, plus seasonal work in agriculture and tourism creates natural ups and downs.

Your 2 week wait is pretty normal actually. Washington ESD processes claims in the order received but they do background verification which takes time. High unemployment doesn't necessarily slow down individual claim processing, but it can mean more calls to their phone lines which makes it harder to get through if you need to speak with someone.

If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD by phone, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Basically they handle the waiting and call you back when they get someone on the line. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.

The high unemployment thing is misleading because it includes people who are between jobs by choice, seasonal workers, and people collecting standby benefits while temporarily laid off. Real unemployment (people actively seeking work who can't find it) is usually lower than the headline number.

Washington also has a lot of gig workers and contractors who may not qualify for traditional UI but still affect employment numbers. The whole system got complicated after COVID when they had to figure out PUA and all that stuff.

UPDATE: I tried that Claimyr thing someone mentioned and actually got through to Washington ESD today! Turns out my claim was held up because they needed to verify my previous employer information. The agent was able to clear it up right away. Would have taken me forever to reach them on my own.

I think Washington's numbers look high because we report everything transparently. Some states make it harder to file claims or have stricter eligibility requirements that keep their reported rates artificially low.

Thanks everyone for the insights. I feel better understanding that the unemployment rate includes various types of situations and that my claim timing is normal. I'll keep monitoring my account and use that Claimyr service if I need to contact Washington ESD directly.

The Boeing issues and other manufacturing changes probably don't help the numbers either. When big employers make changes it ripples through the whole economy.

For what it's worth, I checked out that Claimyr demo video and it actually looks legit. Might be worth having in your back pocket if Washington ESD phone lines stay jammed.

Don't forget that unemployment rates are calculated monthly and can be pretty volatile. One bad month doesn't mean the whole state economy is falling apart.

ugh I hate looking at these statistics because they never tell the whole story. Like how many people gave up looking or are underemployed? The real picture is always more complicated.

At least Washington ESD has gotten better at processing claims compared to the disaster years of 2020-2021. Remember when people waited months just to get through?

Cost of living probably factors in too. Some people might stay on UI longer here because minimum wage jobs don't cover basic expenses in Seattle area.

Just want to add that Washington ESD publishes monthly reports with detailed breakdowns by county and industry if you want to dig deeper into the numbers. Much more informative than just the headline rate.

my cousin works for the state and says they're always hiring but people don't know about the jobs or think government work is boring

The Amazon effect is real too. When they hire big they pull workers from other companies, when they lay off it floods the market. Same with Microsoft and other tech giants.

I've been tracking this stuff for years and Washington unemployment usually runs about 0.5-1% higher than national average but that's been consistent for decades. Not necessarily a bad thing, just our economic structure.

Bottom line is if you lost your job you still deserve UI benefits regardless of what the overall rate is. Focus on your claim and don't worry about the bigger economic picture too much.

If anyone else needs to reach Washington ESD and normal calling isn't working, that Claimyr service really does help. I was skeptical at first but it saved me so much frustration.

This has been really helpful! I had no idea there were so many factors affecting Washington's unemployment numbers - from seasonal agriculture work to tech layoffs to regional differences. Makes me feel better that my 2-week claim wait is normal and not a sign that something's wrong. I'll definitely keep that Claimyr option in mind if I need to contact Washington ESD directly. Thanks everyone for breaking down the complexities behind the statistics!

The regional variation point is so important! I'm in Spokane and our unemployment patterns are totally different from Seattle. We have more government jobs and healthcare which tend to be stable, but when the mining or forestry industries have downturns it really shows up in the numbers. Plus our cost of living is lower so people might take different types of jobs here than they would in King County. It's really misleading to look at Washington as one uniform job market when eastern and western parts of the state have such different economies.