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NEW Pilot to report occupation information starts January 2022
NEW SOC code reporting requirement introduced in 2019 state legislation
In 2019, the Washington State Legislature passed a law requiring employers to report new information in their quarterly reports for unemployment insurance.
What are SOC codes? SOC stands for Standard Occupational Classification, and it’s a federal coding system for occupations and workers.
Why report SOC codes? Businesses need skilled talent, and this is how our postsecondary system will know if they’re meeting workforce demand.
Practice reporting SOC codes during the optional pilot
Starting with your 4th quarter report in January 2022, you’ll have the option to include SOC codes for your employees in your quarterly wage reports for unemployment insurance (UI). Mandatory reporting will begin in fall of 2022.
Join our 2021 pilot program (English language only) to get a jump start on reporting SOC codes. You’ll get:
- Early access to our lookup tool for reporting SOC codes in EAMS (Employer Account Management System).
- More direct support and practice when you report SOC codes for your employees each quarter.
- Opportunities to provide feedback and improve the final experience for yourself and other employers.
In fall 2021:
- Sign up for the SOC code reporting pilot (English language only) in September.
- Watch for our emails to get instructions and updates.
Starting with your 4th quarter report in January 2022:
- Continue using EAMS 5 to submit your quarterly reports.
- Use the lookup tool to find the most accurate SOC codes for each of your employees.
Starting in April 2022:
- EAMS will remember what you entered last quarter.
- You'll only have to look up and enter SOC codes again for new employees or employees whose jobs have changed.
Mandatory reporting begins fall 2022
When you submit your 4th quarter report in January 2023, your experience in the pilot will pay off. You’ll already know how to:
- Look up and report SOC codes when it becomes a mandatory requirement for all employers.
- Avoid penalties for incorrect or incomplete SOC code reporting.