Wa State Unemployment Phone Number

How To Talk To A Live Person In Washington State Unemployment Customer Service

If you need to speak to a live customer service representative in Washington State Unemployment customer service you need to dial 1-800-318-6022. To speak with a live agent, you need to press 1 , then enter your social security number, press 7 , after press 9 and stay on the line .

Alternatively you can use the following other options available in the customer service phone menu:

• If you would like to open or reopen a claim press 2.
• If you have a question about unemployment insurance press 7.

How Much Can I Get Each Week

In Washington state, this is how your weekly benefit amount is calculated:

Step 1: We add together the gross wages from the two highest quarters in your base year, then we divide by 2.

Step 2: Multiply the amount in step 1 by 0.0385.

• If this is more than Washingtons official maximum weekly benefit amount of $999, you will get $999.
• If this is at least $317 and not more than $999, you will get this amount, rounded down to the nearest dollar.
• If this is less than $317, we go to step 3.

Step 3: We calculate your weekly wage. We take the amount calculated in step 1, multiply by 4 and divide by 52 weeks. That equals your estimated weekly wage.

Step 4: Then we compare your estimated weekly wage to $317. You will get the lesser amount, rounded down to the nearest dollar.

Examples of weekly benefit amount calculation:

Q Im Receiving Severance Payis That Considered Income And Will I Be Able To Apply For Unemployment Benefits

• 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.

• 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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What To Do If You Are A Victim Of Fraud

• Go to and complete a Fraud Reporting Form
• Contact Human Resources by either emailing the HR Helpdesk or contacting Michelle Davis
• File a police report – You can file an online or non-emergency report with the law enforcement agency whose jurisdiction you live in
• File an Identity Theft report with the Federal Trade Commission via their online form at www.identitytheft.gov
• Obtain your free credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion at www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228. Report to the credit bureaus that the fraudulent claim was made using your identity and provide them with the case number from your police report. You can have a fraud alert put on your identity or freeze your credit. Doing either is free by law. A fraud alert is free and will make it harder for someone to open new accounts in your name.Equifax: 1-888-766-0008Experian: 1-888-397-3742TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289

Washington Employer Tax Information

To sign up for Squares online payroll service in Washington, you must be registered with the appropriate tax agencies so we can pay and file your state taxes:

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What Is My Base Year

Your base year is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the week in which you apply for benefits. For example, if you applied for unemployment benefits on Jan. 20, 2021, your base year would include wages earned from Oct. 1, 2019, through Sept. 30, 2020.

You could be eligible for an alternate base year claim if you do not have enough hours in that base year for a valid claim .

When you file your claim here:

Your base year is the blue-shaded area.

How To Apply Over The Phone In Washington State

As previously stated, you can also file for unemployment in Washington over the phone. You will need to call the state Automated Claims Line to complete an unemployment claim, and if you do not have the necessary information on hand, the claims specialist may ask you to call back later. When calling, please tell the WA unemployment registration specialist if you are under the protection of a court order before you begin to answer questions. You can elect to have the application translated into the following foreign languages.

If you elect to call the Washington Unemployment Claims Center instead of the Automated Claims Line, a claims specialist, instead of a computer, will ask you questions. This is the best option if you prefer to interact with a human, but it usually takes longer than the other application methods. You will need to file for unemployment in WA by phone if you:

You can also complete a WA unemployment EDD application using a tablet or smartphone if you do not have access to a personal computer.

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Adding Square Payroll As An Authorized User For Washington Paid Family Leave

In order to file and pay your Washington Paid Family Leave taxes, Square Payroll needs to be added as an authorized user.

To add or manage users, login to your Paid Family Leave account. From the employer homepage, click Manage Account in the menu bar and select User Maintenance and follow these steps:

If You Had Not Earned Sufficient Wages

If you need more information about your particular situation or filing an unemployment appeal, go to the official Washington State unemployment website: Official Site

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How Much Do You Get From Washington Unemployment

In Washington, the most you can receive each week in unemployment is $929 per week. The actual amount depends on your earnings during the base year.

Washington doesnt have a set number of weeks for unemployment. Instead, it allows you to claim unemployment benefits until you hit the lesser of:

• 26 times the weekly benefit
• One-third of your gross income during the base year

To get an idea of your maximum employment benefit, add the earnings from your two highest-income quarters. Then, multiply that amount by 0.0385. If the amount is between $295 and $929, it will be your weekly benefit amount. If its higher than $929, your weekly benefit will be $929.

If the number is lower than $295, the state will multiply it by 4 and divide the result by 52. Compare that number to $295 your weekly benefit will be whichever is lower.

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How Do I Get Edd To Answer The Phone

The EDD phone numbers, 1-833-978-2511 or 1-800-300-5616, go to the same center. They operate from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. PDT. Best times to call seem to be around 10:15 a.m. or between 6 or 7 p.m. To reach an EDD representative about an existing claim, try pressing 1 during the first recording, then press 2, then press 4.

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File For Unemployment In Washington

Posted: File Your Unemployment Application and Initial Claim Applications are taken by phone Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. If your Social Security Number ends with: 1. 0, 1, 2 or 3, call on Tuesday. 2. 4, 5 or 6, call on Wednesday. 3. 7, 8, or 9, call on Thursday. 4. Anyone needing to file an initial unemployment benefits application may call on Friday. To submit an initial application for Unemployment Insurance online, go to https://esd.wa.gov/ and click on Apply for Unemployment Benefits on the homep

Washington Unemployment Benefits And Eligibility

• Learn about Washington states eligibility requirements for unemployment, and discover the benefits you can receive while youre looking for a new job.

Unemployment assistance is designed to help you cover expenses when youre between jobs. In Washington state, the Employment Security Department manages unemployment claims and benefits. If youre planning to make a claim, make sure you meet the requirements a complete, accurate application can help you get funds faster.

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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.

How Much Is Unemployment In Washington State

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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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.

• One of the famous pink Elephant Car Wash signs returns to the streets VIEW

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.

S You Can Take To Prevent Fraud

• Go to to create an account
• After creating an account, ESD will send an email to verify your email address. Using the link in the email will bring you back to the website
• Once back at the website – Click on “For yourself”
• Under “If you’re an unemployment claimant, a job seeker, or if you want to send us a message or look up your past wages” click on “Continue”
• This will take you to a page to insert your social security number and associate it with the account with your email address. This will not initiate an unemployment claim but it will associate your social security number with the secure username and password that you use to set up your account.

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About The Vancouver Unemployment Office

The Vancouver Unemployment Office, located in Vancouver, WA, is a government agency that oversees Washington unemployment compensation programs and unemployment insurance. A local branch of the Washington Department of Labor, the Unemployment Office, issues unemployment benefits to individuals in Vancouver who have lost their jobs.

You may contact the Unemployment Office for questions about:

• Applying for Washington unemployment benefits
• Filing an unemployment insurance claim
• Washington eligibility for unemployment

Applying Over The Phone In Washington State

As previously stated, you can also file for unemployment in Washington over the phone. You will need to call the state Automated Claims Line to complete an unemployment claim, and if you do not have the necessary information on hand, the claims specialist may ask you to call back later. When calling, please tell the WA unemployment registration specialist if you are under the protection of a court order before you begin to answer questions. You can elect to have the application translated into the following foreign languages.

If you elect to call the Washington Unemployment Claims Center instead of the Automated Claims Line, a claims specialist, instead of a computer, will ask you questions. This is the best option if you prefer to interact with a human, but it usually takes longer than the other application methods. You will need to file for unemployment in WA by phone if you:

You can also complete a WA unemployment EDD application using a tablet or smartphone if you do not have access to a personal computer.

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How To Get A Response Regarding Your Unemployment Benefits

From time to time claims get stalled and/or payments are delayed. Efforts to reach claims representatives by phone are often unsuccessful, or fail to achieve the desired result. Even visits to your local career center can fail to bear fruit.

In that event, if you have been waiting more than three-four weeks for a response/approval and or benefits, we strongly recommend you send an email to your elected state representative, describing your issue. In almost all cases, the elected representative will contact you almost immediately, then contact the state DOL, which in turn will contact you. Generally, payments are released within 48 hours after DOL contact.

Remember, your elected officials work for YOU. The unemployment insurance benefit program exists to provide financial assistance until you can find work.

There are plenty of success stories here on the website with this approach.

BE PROACTIVE Contact your state legislator. You will get a response.

Find your elected state representative at the links below. We will update and add to this list from time to time. If your state is not listed, do a Google search for elected state representative. Generally, your states website will turn up. Most state websites also provide a representative finder.

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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.

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