Office Of Financial Management
| 4.7% |
1970-2021
- Historically, the unemployment rate in Washington has been higher than the U.S. average, due primarily to a relatively high share of resource-based industries in the state which have more volatile seasonal employment patterns.
- Change in Washington unemployment rates has tracked closely with the U.S. trend, but the difference between the state and the U.S. rates usually widens during the economic downturns.
- The 2000-2003 run-up in jobless rates was a result of the bursting of the Dot-Com bubble in conjunction with the 9/11 recession this had a more pronounced impact on the Seattle area because of the localized concentration of Dot-Com start-ups and aerospace employment.
- The most jump in unemployment rates was related to the breaking of the housing market/equities/commodities bubble which hit Washington and the nation with similar force.
- U.S. and Washington unemployment rates tracked more closely this last recession than they had historically.
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Q Do I Need To Report Any Holiday Or Vacation Pay
A.Yes, report the holiday pay during the week in which the holiday occurred. Do notwait until you are paid for the holiday to report it.
If your vacation pay was accrued and there are no specific dates attached to it, you do not need to report it. However, if your vacation pay was for specific days, it is deductible, and you need to report it. Be sure to report it for the week in which the vacation days occurred.
Q The School I Work At Is Closed Due To The Governors Order To Close Am I Eligible For Unemployment Benefits
A. If you are being paid by the school while your school is closed, you can apply for benefits, but you may be considered fully employed and not eligible. If your school is not paying you while it is closed, you may be eligible for benefits. You will have to be able, available and actively seeking work during each week you claim, unless you are approved for standby. Eligibility decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.
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About State Unemployment Tax
When you have employees, you must pay federal and state unemployment taxes. These taxes fund unemployment programs and pay out benefits to employees who lose their jobs through no fault of their own.
Generally, unemployment taxes are employer-only taxes, meaning you do not withhold the tax from employee wages. However, some states require that you withhold additional money from employee wages for state unemployment taxes .
State unemployment tax is a percentage of an employees wages. Each state sets a different range of tax rates. Your tax rate might be based on factors like your industry, how many former employees received unemployment benefits, and experience.
State unemployment taxes are referred to as SUTA tax or state unemployment insurance . Or, they may be referred to as reemployment taxes .
You pay SUTA tax to the state where the work is taking place. If your employees all work in the state your business is located in, you will pay SUTA tax to the state your business is located in. But if your employees work in different states, you will pay SUTA tax to each state an employee works in.
States also set wage bases for unemployment tax. This means you only contribute unemployment tax until the employee earns above a certain amount.
Expanded Unemployment Benefits Under The Cares Act
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act included a section that expanded unemployment benefits by an additional $600 per week on top of states benefits. This provision is being rolled out on a state-by-state basis. However, the benefit is retroactive to April 5, 2020.
The additional $600 weekly benefit brings the state and federal unemployment benefits up to an average of the median weekly wage in the United States. However, because the expanded benefits are being offered to everyone on
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Q Do Immigrants Qualify For Unemployment Benefits
A. It depends on their status. If an immigrant has a work visa or DACA and their work permit will not be expiring soon after they apply for the benefits, they qualify. If their work authorization expires, they will no longer qualify for this benefit.
Undocumented do not qualify for any current unemployment benefits.
We are working in collaboration with other unions, legal groups, immigrant justice groups to support our immigrant communities in WA state and will share information once that is available.
Q What Should I Do If I Contract Covid
A. If you are injured at work, including if you believe you contracted COVID-19 at work,there are two very important things to do immediately:get medical help andtell your employer.
Our state workers compensation system will consider claims related to COVID-19 under certain circumstances, like from health care providers and first responders, or other claims that meet certain criteria. You can find more about this at the states workers compensation FAQ. Claims will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Workers compensation pays for medical care directly related to an accident or illness related to your job.If you are unable to work following your illness, you may be eligible for a portion of your lost wages. Workers compensation is available to all employees , no matter their immigration status. See information from the Dept. of Labor and Industries atinformation on Workers Compensation.
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Unemployment Benefits By State
A note about this table: The information in this table is up to date at the time of publication. We regularly review this information for accuracy. However, each state maintains its unemployment insurance program and details do change from time to time. We link to each states employment bureau where you can find the most up to date information.
Additionally, this table lists the maximum unemployment insurance benefits you can receive. Not all workers will receive the maximum benefit. Benefits are often based on your previous salary, if or when you previously claimed unemployment compensation, and how long you have been working. Each state may also have additional rules regarding whether or not you are out of work through no fault of your own, whether or not you receive any additional income from employment or side gigs, or whether or not you receive additional income from a pension or retirement benefits.
| Wyoming Department of Workforce Services | 307-473-3789 |
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Amount And Duration Of Unemployment Benefits In Washington State
The ESD determines your weekly benefit amount by averaging your wages from the two highest quarters in your base period and multiplying that number by .0385. The minimum weekly benefit amount is $188, and the maximum weekly benefit is $790. For example, if you earned an average of $17,000 in the two highest quarters, your weekly benefit amount would be $637 .
An individual can collect regular unemployment benefits for up to 26 weeks, though this might be extended in periods of high unemployment.
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Most Read Business Stories
But new tax increases arent expected because the states finances didnt suffer as much as predicted during the pandemic, said state Sen. Karen Keiser, chair of the Senate Labor, Commerce & Tribal Affairs Committee.
The unemployment trust fund, which initially was projected to have a $200 million deficit by the end 2021, already has a total of $1.9 billion and its growing now because the high-wage earners and their employers are paying into the trust fund, Keiser said. So I think theres no likelihood that there would be an additional premium.
However, under state law, as the average wage increases, so too does the share of employees wages that are subject to unemployment taxes. As a result of the average wage increase, employers will be taxed on first $62,500 of each employees wages, starting in 2022, compared to $56,500 in 2021.
New Unemployment Claims In Washington State Fall To The Lowest Level Since March
Workers in Washington state last week filed the smallest number of new unemployment claims since mid-March, when the pandemic was just hitting the state economy.
But experts say its far from clear whether that decline represents a statistical blip or a legitimate sign of an awakening job market.
For the week ending Aug. 1, the state received 24,985 new, or initial, claims for regular unemployment insurance, a drop of 13.4% from the prior week, the state Employment Security Department reported Thursday.
Nationwide, the number of new claims fell 17.4%, to 1.4 million, according to the U.S. Labor Department.
The states weekly claims number is still high by historical standards nearly four and a half times the level of last year at this time. But its also at the lowest level since mid-March, when, in the space of a single week, initial claims jumped from 14,154 to 130,000 as the first big pandemic-related layoffs began.
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Labor Supply Contracts In July
The states labor force in July was 4,030,800 a decrease of 8,100 people from the previous month. Labor force is defined as the total number of people, both employed and unemployed, older than 16.
In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region, the labor force increased by 1,100 during the same period.
From July 2021 to July 2022, the states labor force increased by 114,000, while the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region increased by 70,100.
From June to July, the number of people who were unemployed statewide decreased from 155,400 to 149,300. In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region, the number of people who were unemployed decreased from 46,400 to 45,100 during the same period.
Of the industry sectors, in July:
-
Five contracted
-
Two were unchanged
Private sector employment increased by 3,400 jobs while government employment increased by 3,200 jobs. Table 2 shows a summary of the job gains and losses in all 13 industry sectors.
Annual payrolls continue to expand for nearly every industry
Washington gained an estimated 161,700 jobs from July 2021 July 2022, not seaslly adjusted. Private sector employment rose by 5.5%, up an estimated 157,100 jobs, while public sector employment rose by 0.8%, up an estimated 4,600 jobs.
From July 2021 July 2022, 12 major industry sectors expanded and one contracted
The three industry sectors with the largest employment gains year over year, not seasonally adjusted, were:
Q My Childs School Is Closed Due To The Governors Order If I Dont Have Childcare And Stay Home To Take Care Of My Children Am I Eligible For Unemployment Benefits
A. It depends. If you cannot go to work because you dont have childcare for your child while school is closed, you should call your employer and let them know why you are absent. If your employer fires you or lays you off while you are absent, you may qualify for benefits. However, you are required to be able, available and actively seeking work each week you collect unemployment benefits. If you do not have childcare so that you can return to your job or accept a work offer, you will not be eligible for unemployment benefits. If your situation changes, let us know. Remember, your first and best option should always be employer-paid time off.
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Jobless Rate Drops In Washington County
The countyâs unemployment rate of 3.8% in September compares to 4.4% in August and 5.1% in September 2021.
The number of employed people fell from 70,195 in August to 70,146 in September. That number was 68,568 in September 2021.
The number of people without work fell from 3,222 in August to 2,741 in September. It was 3,701 in September 2021.
And the labor force total dropped from 73,417 to 72,887. The total was 72,269 in September 2021.
The labor force includes those who have jobs plus those who are unemployed and seeking work.
Basically, the jobless rate is the number of residents without jobs and looking for work divided by the total number in the labor force.
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Q Im Receiving Severance Payis That Considered Income And Will I Be Able To Apply For Unemployment Benefits
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If you receive a one-time payment, you will not qualify for unemployment for the week in which you receive the severance pay. After that, you may be eligible depending on your other circumstances.
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If you receive several severance payments, your employer must report taxes paid to ESD on this income and if this severance pay disqualifies you from receiving the unemployment benefits, you can apply once the severance pay runs out. You will be able to file and receive full unemployment benefits, the 26 weeks plus the 13 additional weeks extended by the federal government.
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How To Get Your Suta Tax Rate
When you become an employer, you need to begin paying state unemployment tax. To do so, sign up for a SUTA tax account with your state.
You can register as an employer online using your states government website. You might also be able to register for an account by mailing a form to your state. Each state has a different process for obtaining an account. Check your states government website for more information.
To register for an account, you need to provide information about your business, such as your Employer Identification Number. When you register for an account, you will obtain an employer account number.
Intimidated by the thought of state registration? For state tax registration made simple, try our partner, CorpNet.
Once registered, your state tells you what your SUI rate is. And, your state also tells you what your states wage base is.
Many states give newly registered employers a standard new employer rate. The state unemployment insurance rate for new employers varies.
Some states split new employer rates up by construction and non-construction industries. For example, all new employers receive a SUTA rate of 1.25% in Nebraska, and all new construction employers receive a SUTA rate of 5.4% in 2022.
If you live in a state that doesnt use a standard new employer rate, you must wait for your state to assign you your starting rate.
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy In Washington
If you face unemployment, you may have an easier time qualifying for a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Washington. That said, you often have to qualify for bankruptcy using the Washington bankruptcy means test and income limits. For example, below are the income limits for bankruptcy cases filed on or after May 15, 2022 for Washington.
| # of People |
|---|
| $51,350 |
| * Add $4,720 for each individual in excess of 9. |
That said, the Chapter 7 attorney costs in Washington may range from $1000 $2000 and the Chapter 13 attorney costs in Washington may be approximately $3,500.
Specific cities may have different attorney fee ranges. For example, the estimated attorney fee is $1,500 in Seattle and $1,500 in Spokane
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Otium Beneficia In Washington Possum Accipere
Emptores in Washington, qui ab operibus suis separati sunt ob causam, quod status Employment Securitatis Department agnoscit eligibile propter beneficia otium. Frequentissimae rationes sunt: positae, sine causa, sine tuo vitio terminatae, aut ad opus minus plenum tempus.
In ESD etiam nonnullas condiciones COVID-19 relatas declaravit in quibus habiles sint ad otium commoditatis, inter:
- Sequens detectio ad COVID-19, tu es auto-quarendo secundum medical professionali vel publica sanitatis publica. Sed aeger non es, et male valedixit et non competit.
- Infeliciter, dico vobis ex negotio abiit.
- In administratione valedixit positus es.
- Dico tibi operationes ad tempus cessaverunt et non competit eis ut infirmos valefaciant vel solvant hoc tempore.
Usus solutus valetudinarius infirmus commendatur si opus est ut temporis spatium ob infectionem COVID-19 infectio, secundum ESD. Si optio ista non est, commodum rei familiaris et medicinae loco relinquas uti possis.
Solet ESD postulat ut minimum 680 horarum in opere operto tuo in basi anno functus es, qui primus quattuor ex quinque proximis quadrantibus calendarii superioris anni completus est. Ob expansionem in qui eligitur propter otium emolumenti sub Coronaviro Aido, Subsidio, et Securitatis Oeconomico Actus, eligi potest etiam si hanc postulationem non petis.
How Do I Appeal A Washington Unemployment Decision
You can submit your weekly UI benefits claim over the phone if you are unable to apply online. Simply dial 800-318-6022 to talk with a claims agent or to use the automated system. You have the option of receiving your unemployment benefits by direct deposit or prepaid debit card, both of which may be set up online when you apply.
In the event that you would prefer to mail your statement, you can send a letter outlining your objections to the decision and asking for additional review to the following address:
- Claims Center Appeals
- Olympia, WA 98507-0018
There is no way to lodge an appeal through email or phone. Once your appeal has been received, your case will be reviewed again, and you may be requested to attend a hearing so that an administrative law judge may learn more about your case.
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What Is An Overpayment
Overpayments of unemployment benefits occur when someone received benefits that they are later found to have been ineligible to receive.
This can happen for two main reasons:
You may appeal an overpayment decision by following the instructions on the letter we send to you. You can also learn more about appeals on the Benefits Denials and Appeals page of our website.
