The Blog

Karen Lee, Employment Security Commissioner

09/30/09

This recession has taken a heavy toll on jobs in our state. But some companies are avoiding layoffs with the help of the Employment Security Department.

The Shared-Work Program allows employers to temporarily reduce the work hours of their full-time employees by up to 50 percent, while workers collect partial unemployment benefits to replace some of their lost wages.

The employees receive more income than with unemployment benefits alone, and they aren’t forced to look for another job in this tough economy.

Businesses benefit by cutting payroll costs while keeping their skilled workers until the economy improves.

Here in Washington, more than 2,000 businesses and 42,000 employees are approved to participate in the program.

In a recent survey, 56 percent of participating employers said the Shared-Work Program has helped them survive the recession, and another 22 percent felt it probably had.  Eighty-eight percent said they’d recommend it to other employers.

To learn more about the program, visit www.esd.wa.gov and search on “shared work,” or call 800-752-2500.