The Blog

Paul Trause, Commissioner, Employment Security Department

04/05/12

Although our state’s economy is on the mend, many businesses still are living on the edge.  On one hand, they may need to reduce their payroll – but losing their skilled workers could hamper their ability to quickly resume full production.

Fortunately, our state has a program to help!

More than two-thirds of employers who participated in the Employment Security Department’s Shared-Work layoff-avoidance program in 2011 say the program helped them survive the recession. Another 20 percent of businesses reported that it probably had.

These amazing results show that the Shared-Work Program is one of the most-effective tools offered by any government agency to save jobs and businesses.

The program allows employers to reduce the hours of their full-time employees by up to 50 percent, while the workers collect partial unemployment benefits to make up for some of the lost wages. Business owners get immediate payroll savings and keep their skilled employees.

In 2011 – the second-highest year on record – 3,176 businesses and more than 38,000 employees were approved to participate in Shared Work. The program also saved an estimated 26,000 jobs and more than $42 million in unemployment-benefit payouts last year.

Without Shared Work, our state’s economy would have been in worse shape, and it would take longer to recover.

We’re working hard to spread the word to chambers of commerce and other business organizations. It’s important that Washington employers that have hit a rough patch know how Shared Work might be able to help get them through it.

For more information and to apply, visit our Shared-Work website or call us toll free at 800-752-2500.