Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! Sounds like I need to be really careful about tracking and reporting everything. Better to be safe than sorry with Washington ESD.

I was in a similar situation a few months ago and ended up doing DoorDash on weekends. Here's what I learned: 1) You absolutely must report ALL earnings as gross income before any fees or deductions, 2) Keep a spreadsheet with dates, hours worked, and earnings for each week - it makes reporting so much easier, 3) The partial benefit formula actually isn't too bad if you stay strategic about your hours. I found that working Friday and Saturday nights for about 4-5 hours each gave me around $80-90 per week, which kept me under my benefit threshold. Just make sure you're still doing your required job search activities - gig work doesn't count toward those requirements. The extra income really helped with groceries and gas money while I was looking for full-time work.

When my unemployment was ending last year I was panicking too. My brother told me his friend got an extension but that turned out to be from 2021 during covid which doesn't help now lol. I ended up taking a part-time job at Starbucks while I kept looking for something in my field. You might qualify for partial unemployment if you work part-time but don't earn too much. Just sharing what worked for me while I was transitioning!

One more thing to consider - if you've worked ANY job (even part-time or temporary) during your current benefit year and earned enough hours, you might be eligible to file a new claim rather than seeking an extension. The threshold is 680 hours of work since your last valid claim. This creates a new benefit year rather than extending the current one. Worth checking your work history to see if this might apply to you.

I used to work for an employment law firm and saw this constantly. Employers contest claims even when they know they'll lose because the delay saves them money in the short term. It's a calculated business decision that unfortunately hurts workers.

Update on my situation - I finally got through to Washington ESD using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. The agent explained exactly where my case stands in the adjudication process and what to expect next. Definitely worth checking out if you're stuck like I was.

lot of people think theres something wrong with there claim BUT its nromal part of the process. ESD always says waiting for info when they checking with employer. just be patient and dont miss any weekly claims

UPDATE: My claim just got approved today! It took exactly 11 business days from when I first applied. Looks like my employer responded right at the end of their 10-day window. Thanks everyone for the advice and support!

Bottom line is you need to be prepared for them to take up to 50% of your weekly benefit amount. It's not fun but it's manageable if you adjust your budget accordingly. Good luck!

I'm going through something similar right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful. Just wanted to add that if you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD by phone about your garnishment situation, I had success using Claimyr at claimyr.com. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. I was able to speak with an ESD representative within 20 minutes instead of being on hold for hours. The agent explained exactly when my garnishment would start and how it would appear in my payment history. Worth checking out if you need specific answers about your account.