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Employment Security Department’s benefits programs — such as unemployment benefits and paid family and medical leave — are designed to support workers when they need help the most. Our agency’s fraud management team works every day to ensure these vital resources remain available for those who need them.

Employment Security Department Commissioner Cami Feek and other state officials joined veterans, their families and friends on Monday, Nov. 10, during the annual Veterans Day ceremony in Olympia.

Like the transition to the fall season, the freshly updated Occupations in Demand list has made its annual premiere. The Occupations in Demand list shows whether an occupation in a local area is considered in demand (abundance of opportunities), not in demand (few opportunities) or balanced. It also gives information about employment growth in particular occupations, its wages, typical education needed, and how to access job postings, training programs and other resources.

Commissioner Cami Feek, Director of Insurance Services JR Richards, and Chief Labor Economist Anneliese Vance-Sherman spoke with media on Oct. 27 about adjusted hours for the unemployment benefits call center.

If we have questions about your eligibility for unemployment benefits, we may set an "issue" on your account. Learn what you need to know when your claim has an issue.

Before you file a weekly claim, you need to have an active unemployment claim. Then, you need to file for each week you want benefits. Learn what you need to know to file your weekly claims for unemployment benefits.

If you are impacted by the partial federal government shutdown, you may be eligible for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, depending on your situation.

Today, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) announced Washington’s minimum wage will rise 2.8% next year, to $17.13 an hour. The increase takes effect Jan. 1, 2026.

Each week you claim unemployment benefits, you need to look for work unless we tell you otherwise. Learn more about the job search requirements.

When you apply for unemployment benefits, you need to report why you are not working. We call this your job separation reason. Learn how to correctly report why you stopped working.