Washington ESD unemployment rates - are we the highest in the country right now?
I've been hearing from friends and family that Washington state has some of the highest unemployment numbers in the country lately. Is this true? I'm currently on unemployment benefits through Washington ESD and wondering if this affects my claim processing or job search requirements. Anyone know where we actually rank compared to other states? Also worried this might impact how long benefits last or if there are changes coming to the program.
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Freya Collins
Last I checked Washington was definitely in the top 10 for unemployment rates but not THE highest. Nevada and some other states were worse. The rate doesn't really affect your individual claim processing though - Washington ESD follows the same procedures regardless.
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Lucas Schmidt
•That's somewhat reassuring. I was worried they might tighten up on approvals or something if the numbers are really bad.
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LongPeri
•Yeah the approval process is pretty standardized. Your claim gets approved or denied based on your specific work history and circumstances, not the overall state rate.
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Oscar O'Neil
The unemployment rate affects federal funding and program extensions but not individual claims. Washington ESD has been dealing with higher call volumes because of the increased claims, which is why it's so hard to reach anyone by phone.
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Sara Hellquiem
•THIS. I've been trying to call Washington ESD for weeks about my adjudication and can never get through. The busy signal is constant.
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Charlee Coleman
•I actually found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Way easier than trying to call yourself.
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Sara Hellquiem
•Never heard of that but if it actually works I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point.
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Liv Park
I think we're around 4.8% which is higher than the national average but not the absolute highest. States like Alaska and Nevada have been worse. But yeah the high volume is making everything slower at Washington ESD.
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Leeann Blackstein
•where did you see 4.8%? I thought it was higher than that
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Liv Park
•That was from the Bureau of Labor Statistics report last month. It fluctuates pretty regularly though.
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Ryder Greene
honestly who cares about the ranking, the system is broken regardless. been waiting 6 weeks for my adjudication to clear and Washington ESD won't tell me anything useful when I finally do get through
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Oscar O'Neil
•6 weeks is definitely longer than normal. Have you tried requesting an escalation or filing a complaint with the Washington ESD ombudsman?
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Ryder Greene
•I didn't know there was an ombudsman. How do I contact them?
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Oscar O'Neil
•You can find the ombudsman contact info on the Washington ESD website under the help section. They handle complaints about delays and procedural issues.
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LongPeri
The rates definitely matter for policy decisions but not for individual claims. What matters more is whether you meet the eligibility requirements - sufficient work history, job separation reason, able and available for work, etc.
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Lucas Schmidt
•Speaking of able and available - do the job search requirements change based on unemployment rates? I have to do 3 job search activities per week right now.
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LongPeri
•No, the job search requirements are set by state law and don't change based on unemployment rates. It's still 3 activities per week unless you're on standby.
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Freya Collins
I looked it up and as of December 2024, Washington was ranked 8th highest for unemployment at 4.9%. Not great but not the worst either. California, Nevada, and Alaska were all higher.
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Carmella Fromis
•thanks for actually looking that up, I was curious too but too lazy to research it myself lol
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Freya Collins
•No problem! The Bureau of Labor Statistics updates these monthly so the rankings shift around pretty regularly.
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Sara Hellquiem
Update on my adjudication - I finally got through using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. The agent was able to tell me exactly what documentation they needed and my claim was approved within 2 days after I submitted it. Definitely worth it if you're stuck.
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Charlee Coleman
•Glad it worked out for you! I've recommended Claimyr to several people now and everyone's had good experiences getting through to Washington ESD.
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Theodore Nelson
•How much does something like that cost? I'm already tight on money waiting for my benefits.
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Sara Hellquiem
•It was reasonable considering how much time and frustration it saved me. Much better than spending hours redialing the same busy number.
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AaliyahAli
The high unemployment rate definitely affects processing times because Washington ESD is overwhelmed with claims. My weekly claims have been taking longer to process lately too.
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Ellie Simpson
•Same here. Used to get paid within 2 days of filing my weekly claim, now it's taking 4-5 days consistently.
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AaliyahAli
•Exactly! And don't even get me started on trying to get someone on the phone if there's an issue.
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Arjun Kurti
I work in HR and we've been laying people off unfortunately. The high unemployment rate is definitely real but it's not just Washington - it's been a tough year nationally for employment. The good news is Washington ESD benefits are among the better ones in the country.
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Lucas Schmidt
•That's actually reassuring to hear. I was worried our benefits might be worse than other states.
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Arjun Kurti
•No, Washington has pretty good maximum benefit amounts and duration compared to most states. The system just gets overwhelmed during high unemployment periods.
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Raúl Mora
Been unemployed for 4 months now and the job market is definitely tough. Whether we're ranked 1st or 10th in unemployment doesn't really matter when you're looking for work every day. Focus on your job search activities and don't worry too much about the statistics.
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Margot Quinn
•This is the right attitude. The numbers are what they are but you can only control your own job search efforts.
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Raúl Mora
•Exactly. I've been using WorkSourceWA for networking events and job fairs which has been more helpful than worrying about unemployment rankings.
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Evelyn Kim
just saw on the news that tech layoffs are still happening which is probably keeping our unemployment numbers high. amazon microsoft google all still cutting jobs
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Diego Fisher
•Yeah the tech sector layoffs have been brutal. I got laid off from a tech company in November and there are so many of us looking for similar positions now.
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Evelyn Kim
•sorry to hear that. at least Washington ESD benefits are decent for tech workers since the wages are usually pretty high
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Henrietta Beasley
The unemployment rate affects federal funding for job training programs too. Higher unemployment means more federal money for retraining programs through WorkSourceWA, which could actually be helpful for people looking to switch careers.
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Lincoln Ramiro
•That's a good point. I've been thinking about getting retrained for something different since my industry has been hit hard.
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Henrietta Beasley
•Definitely look into the WIA programs and other training opportunities. Washington ESD has partnerships with community colleges for displaced workers.
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Faith Kingston
I used Claimyr last week to get through to Washington ESD about my overpayment notice and it was super easy. The agent explained everything clearly and helped me set up a payment plan. Much better than trying to navigate their phone system myself.
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Emma Johnson
•Good to know it works for overpayment issues too, not just regular claims. I might need to use it if I can't resolve my issue through the website.
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Faith Kingston
•Yeah they can help with pretty much any reason you need to talk to an actual Washington ESD agent. Saves so much time and stress.
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Liam Brown
The ranking doesn't matter as much as the trend. If unemployment is going up or down affects policy decisions and funding. Right now it seems like we're stabilizing but still higher than pre-pandemic levels.
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Olivia Garcia
•True, the direction matters more than the exact number. I've been watching the monthly reports and it seems like we're slowly improving.
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Liam Brown
•Yeah, slow improvement is better than getting worse. The job market feels like it's starting to open up more in some sectors.
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Noah Lee
As someone who's been through multiple periods of unemployment over the years, I can say that Washington ESD's system holds up pretty well even during high unemployment. The benefits are fair and the process is consistent even if it's slow sometimes.
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Ava Hernandez
•That's reassuring to hear from someone with experience. I'm new to this and wasn't sure if the delays were normal or because of the high unemployment.
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Noah Lee
•The delays are definitely because of volume, but the system itself is solid. Just be patient and make sure you're doing your weekly claims and job search activities correctly.
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