Employment Security Department
| Annual FTEs | General Fund State | Other Funds | Total Funds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dollars in Thousands) | ||||
| Estimated Expenditures | 1,864.2 | 6,345 | 803,720 | 810,065 |
| 2021-23 Maintenance Level | 1,853.2 | 7,715 | 867,619 | 875,334 |
| Difference from 2019-21 | (11.0) | 1,370 | 63,899 | 65,269 |
| % Change from 2019-21 | (0.6%) | 21.6% | 8.0% | 8.1% |
2021-23 Policy Other Changes |
||||
| Career Connected Learning Expansion | 0.0 | 2,000 | 0 | 2,000 |
| Supporting Economic Recovery - UI | 2.8 | 0 | 685 | 685 |
| Agricultural and Seasonal Workforce | 14.4 | 0 | 3,264 | 3,264 |
| Long-Term Services and Support | 94.1 | 0 | 30,458 | 30,458 |
| ESD/DSHS Program Expansion Study | 0.60 | 0 | 80 | 80 |
| UI Backlog & User Experience | 43.3 | 0 | 4,477 | 4,477 |
| Address UI Benefit Fraud | 0.0 | 0 | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| 2021-23 Policy Other Changes Total | 155.2 | 2,000 | 41,964 | 43,964 |
2021-23 Policy Comp Changes |
||||
| Pension Adjustments, nonrate | 0.0 | 0 | 256 | 256 |
| State Employee Benefits | 0.0 | 0 | (81) | (81) |
| WFSE General Government | 0.0 | 0 | (11,792) | (11,792) |
| Temporary Layoffs and Other Savings | 0.0 | (16) | (2,231) | (2,247) |
| Rep Employee Health Benefits | 0.0 | 0 | (609) | (609) |
| Non-Rep General Wage Increase | 0.0 | 0 | (2,130) | (2,130) |
| 2021-23 Policy Comp Changes Total | 0.0 | (16) | (16,587) | (16,603) |
2021-23 Policy Central Services Changes |
||||
| Archives/Records Management | 0.0 | 0 | 17 | 17 |
| Audit Services | 0.0 | 0 | (40) | (40) |
| Legal Services | 0.0 | 0 | (226) | (226) |
| Administrative Hearings | 0.0 | 0 | (238) | (238) |
| CTS Central Services | 0.0 | 1 | 776 | 777 |
| DES Central Services | 0.0 | 0 | 245 | 245 |
| OFM Central Services | 0.0 | 5 | 2,329 | 2,334 |
| Self-Insurance Liability Premium | 0.0 | 0 | 153 | 153 |
| 2021-23 Policy Central Services Changes Total | 0.0 | 6 | 3,016 | 3,022 |
| Total Policy Changes | 155.2 | 1,990 | 28,393 | 30,383 |
| 2021-23 Policy Level | 2,008.4 | 9,705 | 896,012 | 905,717 |
| Difference from 2019-21 | 144.2 | 3,360 | 92,292 | 95,652 |
| % Change from 2019-21 | 7.7% | 53.0% | 11.5% | 11.8% |
Policy Changes
Career Connected Learning Expansion
Funding is provided for the Employment Security Department to increase Career Connected Learning curricula through program intermediary grants. (Workforce Education Investment Acc - State)
Supporting Economic Recovery - UI
This funding will cover staffing, rulemaking, and IT enhancements to support the adjustment of unemployment insurance (UI) taxes, increase the minimum weekly UI benefit amount to 20 percent of the average weekly wage, remove barriers to the Voluntary Contribution Program, remove retirement benefits from an automatic adjudication process, and grant ESD flexibility during future public health emergencies to make necessary adjustments for the delivery of benefits. (Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal)
Agricultural and Seasonal Workforce
Funds are provided to continue the Office of Agricultural and Seasonal Workforce Services established through E2SSB 5438 (Chapter 441, Laws of 2019). (Employment Services Administrative - State)
Long-Term Services and Support
Funding is provided to continue the implementation of the Long-Term Services and Supports program and trust established through 2SHB 1087 (Chapter 363, Laws of 2019) and SSB 6267 (Chapter 98, Laws of 2020). (Long-Term Servs & Sup Trust Account - State)
ESD/DSHS Program Expansion Study
The department will conduct a study that assesses the feasibility of creating an unemployment insurance program for undocumented Washingtonians, including the cost, operational impacts, and recommendations. (Employment Services Administrative - State, General Fund - State, Administrative Contingency Account - State)
UI Backlog & User Experience
The Employment Security Department has experienced a rapid increase in the number of Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. To assist ESD in processing and verifying UI claims, funding is provided to hire additional staff including, but not limited to, 27.5 adjudicators and 2.7 dual language agents. In addition, funding is provided for ESD to continue enhancing the usability of the UI program to reduce claimant errors. (Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal)
Address UI Benefit Fraud
Funding is provided to cover the cost of unemployment insurance anti-fraud resources. (Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal)
Pension Adjustments, nonrate
This funds the potential impact of Department of Retirement Systems request legislation on pension service credit and benefit calculation. It will prevent budget reductions such as temporary layoffs from negatively affecting employee retirement benefits. (Employment Services Administrative - State, Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State, other funds)
State Employee Benefits
Health insurance funding is provided for state employees who are not represented by a union, who are covered by a bargaining agreement that is not subject to financial feasibility determination, or who are not part of the coalition of unions for health benefits. The insurance funding rate is $988 per employee per month for fiscal year 2022 and $1,018 per employee per month for fiscal year 2023. (Administrative Contingency Account - State, General Fund - Federal, General Fund - Private/Local, other funds)
WFSE General Government
This adjustment reflects the impact of the 2021-23 collective bargaining agreement. (Accessible Communities Account - Non-Appropriated, Administrative Contingency Account - State, General Fund - Private/Local, other funds)
Temporary Layoffs and Other Savings
This item reflects savings achieved from temporary layoffs or similar actions. (General Fund - Private/Local, Administrative Contingency Account - State, Workforce Education Investment Acc - State, other funds)
Rep Employee Health Benefits
This provides health insurance funding for the master agreement for employee benefits as part of a coalition of unions. The insurance funding rate is $988 per employee per month for fiscal year 2022 and $1,018 per employee per month for fiscal year 2023. (General Fund - Local, General Fund - Private/Local, Administrative Contingency Account - State, other funds)
Non-Rep General Wage Increase
This reflects savings from the cancellation of the July 1, 2020 general wage increase for some non-represented, non-classified employees. (Administrative Contingency Account - State, General Fund - Private/Local, Accessible Communities Account - Non-Appropriated, other funds)
Archives/Records Management
Adjustments are made for each agency’s anticipated share of charges for archives and records management services provided by the Secretary of State’s Office. (Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, General Fund - Local, Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State, other funds)
Audit Services
Adjustments are made for each agency’s anticipated cost of audits performed by the State Auditor’s Office. (General Fund - Federal, General Fund - Local, General Fund - Private/Local, other funds)
Legal Services
Adjustments are made for each agency’s anticipated cost of legal services provided by the Attorney General’s Office. Because legal services expenditures are based on consumption, funding provided in the central service model is not all inclusive. (Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State, Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal)
Administrative Hearings
Adjustments are made for each agency’s anticipated cost of administrative hearings from the Office of Administrative Hearings. (Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State)
CTS Central Services
Adjustments are made to reflect each agency’s anticipated share of charges for Microsoft 365 G5 licenses contracted for state agencies by the Consolidated Technology Services agency. This contract allows the state to achieve economies of scale and administrative efficiencies in the management of licenses. (Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State, Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, General Fund - Local, other funds)
DES Central Services
Adjustments are made to reflect each agency’s anticipated share of charges from the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) for campus rent, utilities, parking, and contracts; capital project surcharges; financing cost recovery; public and historic facilities; real estate services; risk management services; personnel service rates; the Perry Street child care center; small agency services; and the department’s enterprise applications. (General Fund - Federal, Administrative Contingency Account - State, Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, other funds)
OFM Central Services
Adjustments are made to reflect each agency’s anticipated share of charges for existing statewide financial applications, One Washington, and other central services provided by the Office of Financial Management. (Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, Employment Services Administrative - State, Administrative Contingency Account - State, other funds)
Self-Insurance Liability Premium
Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's share of actuarily projected costs of the Self-Insurance Liability Account. This includes adjustments to existing funding levels as well as enhancements for anticipated liabilities in the 2021-23 biennium. (Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State, General Fund - Local, Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, other funds)
