March 11, 2024 Seattle—A crisis of confidence because of often-inaccessible benefits plagues Washington’s unemployment insurance system and requires urgent action, a new study by the Unemployment Law Project (ULP) concludes. Workers who are forced to leave a job rely on Washington’s Employment Security Department (ESD) for temporary assistance while they… Continue reading

ULP is thrilled to announce that on Thursday, April 6, the Washington state Senate voted to adopt ESHB 1106, a bill that ULP helped develop and has pursued for six years to reform unemployment benefits to protect family caregivers. Already passed by the state House of Representatives, the bill will… Continue reading

Our friends at Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) have introduced a bill in coordination with Senator Saldaña to create a program to make unemployment benefits available for undocumented workers in Washington state. They are hoping to gain letters of support in order to get SB 5438 passed. Click here to… Continue reading

January 5, 2022 The New Year brought a change in Washington law that directly affects at least 3.2 million people in our state—that is, everyone currently or potentially eligible for unemployment insurance benefits when they lose a job. The change, which kicked in January 2, 2022, is a new rule… Continue reading