Question: When should you file your weekly claim? Answer: Weekly!

Thank you for your apology, but next time please file your weekly unemployment claim on time.

We routinely fix the mistakes of unemployed workers by reopening their claims when they miss the deadline. Our claims center agents are polite about it. They’re human, too, and they know that when they respond to calls on Monday mornings many will be from unemployed workers who for one reason or another failed to submit weekly benefits requests before the cutoff the Friday before. For example…

What are employers looking for? Check out our top 25 lists

Employment Security’s office of Labor Market and Performance Analysis (LMPA) just created new reports designed to shed some light on what today’s employers are looking for in workers.

Sweet news: It’s cherry season!

The great Columbia Basin cherry harvest is in full swing. Cherry trees are producing their luscious fruit in orchards and neighborhood yards throughout our region.

You may be fortunate enough to have a cherry tree in your yard —but even for those of us who don’t — it’s usually only a short drive to a nearby orchard to satisfy the craving for fresh and delicious cherries.

Cherry season not only provides fresh fruit, it also adds nearly $385.2 million dollars to Washington’s $9.12 billion agricultural economy.

Keep a complete record of your work history

Typically, career coaches advise job seekers to showcase successes and accomplishments. If you do it right, your résumé will highlight where and when you hit those targets.

These days, no one can be sure that the job you work today is the job you’ll have for years to come. So it’s important to keep records of your work history – not only to demonstrate your worth to future employers, but also to validate your eligibility for unemployment benefits, if needed.

Youth summer employment

Summer is just around the corner. Schools are preparing for break, and teens in my neighborhood have been asking about mowing my lawn.

Youth employment is highly seasonal, predictably spiking in the summer and declining during the school year. It’s also very sensitive to the strength of the labor market. The recession took a disproportionate toll on Washington’s young workers, and the recovery hasn’t stretched to them yet.