Please see updates below regarding Employment Security Department rules and programs.
Job search requirements extended
The governor, with support from the Legislature, has announced that job search requirements will remain suspended through Jan. 19, 2021. This means the soonest claimants will be seek work is the week of Jan. 24. We are committed to helping you understand the requirements before you need to report job searches in your weekly claim. Learn more on our job search requirements page. For more information, see the ALERTS at www.esd.wa.gov.
Waiting week requirements
Additionally, the waiting week requirement will remain suspended until Dec. 21. This means unless further action is taken, new claims with an effective date of claim of Dec. 27, or later, will require an unpaid waiting week. This will not affect current claims.
Do you need to restart your claim?
If you applied for unemployment benefits earlier this year, and you haven’t submitted a weekly claim for five or more weeks, you can restart your claim online. Go to esd.wa.gov/unemployment/restart-your-claim for instructions and tips.
New to unemployment
If you haven’t applied for unemployment recently, go to esd.wa.gov/unemployment and follow the steps to apply. Read this guide to avoid common issues before applying.