It is not easy looking for work and finding the job in today's current market. You might as well just find any job and accept it for now. Even small jobs working at fast food restaurants, part time odd jobs or evening janitor jobs just to get by for now. This keep you working and money coming in to pay your necessary bills, rent, food, electric, gasoline, and insurance for your car. You might even want to consider getting rid of your un-necessary expenses like cell phone plans, cable TV, drink less beer, smoke less cigarettes, even turn down your heating at home, or travel and spend less. File for unemployment Tips There are two ways to file for unemployment in Washington state. You can file using a telephone by calling the Seattle Unemployment Claims Tele-center at 1 (800) 318-6022, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday. OR You can apply for unemployment benefits online by using the internet web address at www.gotoui.com. In March 2009 financial headline states that there was over 640,000 jobless claim set new record. So don't imagine you'll be the only one filing for unemployment. If the most busy time to call and file for unemployment insurance is on Monday and Tuesday, and Wednesday to Friday between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., then try calling at a different time of day, or even at different day all together. You just have to keep trying and don't hang up once you get through, otherwise you have to start all over again.   Filing for unemployment just dropped this April month in Seattle probably because of seasonal work. So be patient, have your questions, and your proper documents ready when you call, your previous employer information, contact name, phone numbers, check stubs, time cards, W-2's, and any proof of your employment. You will be on the phone waiting or talking to a claim representative for one (1) hour or more. I don't think it is a good idea using your cell phone unless you really need to. Why? Cell phone reception is bad and you can lose connection. Then you have to start all over. I heard Karen Lee, an Employment Security Commissioner, spoke on the radio the other evening stating that filing for unemployment can be frustrating because of high volume calls. You will either get a busy signal or an automatic voice message stating to call back at a later time when you try calling the Claim Tele-center. Karen Lee suggests that you try calling at a different time of day, even on Friday and Saturday. So you must be patient with the filing for unemployment process. Unemployment myths There are NO local unemployment offices where you walk-in to file for unemployment insurance. There is no Bellevue unemployment office in Washington. There is no Everett unemployment office in Washington. But there is a Seattle Unemployment Claim Tele-center where you have to call 1 (800) 318-6022 to apply for unemployment benefits. Filing for unemployment is all done by calling a toll free phone number, 1 (800) 318-6022 or by using the internet at www.gotoui.com. There is a department call Worksource. That place is to help you find jobs and where employers look for employable employees to hire and a few other services they provide. So go to them or call them to find out more how they can help you find work. Everett Worksource phone (425) 258-6300, Lynnwood Worksource phone (425) 673-3300, North Seattle Worksource phone (206) 440-2500. Unemployment insurance is paid by your employer (not you), a percentage of your taxable gross wages, and funded by the Federal Government, yours and mine federal tax dollar. So I am and we are paying into this in someway or another. To be fair, your employer is paying your unemployment insurance whether you file and received unemployment benefits or not. Federal Government kicks in if the state have a shortfall. So far Washington State Unemployment Insurance pool is stable but depleting fast. There are a numbers of States around the country who are having a shortfall in their unemployment insurance pool. When you received unemployment insurance benefits you will get a 1099(G) instead of a W-2's at the end of the year. Final words. I wrote this File for unemployment/insurance/benefits/Seattle unemployment claim WA, Washington State because I thought it might help people who are unemployed, did not know where to apply for unemployment benefits, or those who are looking for a job. This is not an official web site for filing unemployment benefits. This web site serves as an informational use and you should do further research. So please go to the Employment Security Department Washington State official website at www.gotoui.com to apply for benefits online or to apply for benefits by phone. The official web site where Washington workers and employers should go to is www.esd.wa.gov for claim unemployment benefits, find a job, filing unemployment taxes, and hiring an employee. This page is not designed to render legal opinions.