Unemployment Insurance: Washington

Federal law and guidance on this subject should be reviewed together with this section.

Author: Bruce Cross, Perkins Coie LLP

Summary

• Most businesses in Washington must pay unemployment taxes. See Employer Coverage.
• Claimants must meet certain requirements in order to be eligible for unemployment benefits. See Employee Eligibility.
• Claimants may be disqualified from receiving unemployment benefits in certain cases. See Disqualification From Benefits.
• Unemployment benefits will generally last up to 26 weeks. See Benefits.
• Employers must comply with specific notice, posting and recordkeeping requirements. See Notice and Posting Requirements; Recordkeeping Requirements.
• Washington offers the SharedWork Program, a voluntary program to help employers retain a group of employees who would otherwise have been laid off. See SharedWork Program.