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April 10, 2026 - Issue 74 |
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In this issue
- Q1 2026 reports are due by April 30.
- WA Cares annual reports now available to workers.
- Paid Leave statements to be mailed in May.
- Three state and three county employment reports out this month.
- BizFair coming to Spokane in May, Puyallup in September.
- You can help prevent unemployment fraud.
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Avoid these common reporting mistakes
Q1 2026 reports and payments for the Unemployment, Paid Leave and WA Cares programs are due by April 30.
Tips for completing all reports
- Use 2026 tax and premium rates.
- If you work with a third party to file your reports, remind them to use 2026 rates.
- For Tribes in Washington: You can but are not required to report SOC codes.
Tips for quarterly unemployment tax reports
Avoid common mistakes. Go to the Employment Security website for details about filing quarterly tax and wage reports.
Update your tax software
- Correctly enter anyone in your company exempt from wage reporting.
- Include all employees SOC code or job title.
- Program your correct 2026 tax rate. We send you an annual letter in December with your tax rate for the coming year.
- Reach out to your software’s technical support if you need help updating it.
Check with your third-party company, if you use one
Make sure your third-party company has:
- Your 2026 tax rate.
- A current list of people in your company exempt from wage reporting.
- A SOC code or job title for each employee being reported.
Avoid penalties
Washington state law requires us to assess a penalty if you knowingly fail to report any of the following for each employee:
- Full name.
- Social Security number.
- Total hours worked.
- Total gross wages.
- SOC code or job title.
If your payroll software, payroll service provider or third-party company fails to report any of these, you may be entitled to a waiver. When requesting a waiver for missing information, please be sure to include the date the issue will be resolved.
Read more about penalties on the Employment Security website.
What you pay unemployment taxes on
You pay unemployment taxes on your employees’ gross wages up to the taxable wage base. Learn about taxable wages on the Employment Security website.
Tips for Paid Leave and WA Cares quarterly reports
Pay separately for WA Cares and Paid Leave
Record your employees' WA Cares exemptions
Employees need to inform you if they have an active WA Cares exemption by giving you a copy of their approval letter from ESD. Once notified, you need to:
- Keep a copy of their approval letter on file.
- Not deduct WA Cares premiums from their wages.
- Mark them as “exempt” on your quarterly report for WA Cares.
Complete the PIN process
Get full access to your employer account so you can add and edit contacts, users and POAs, amend wage reports and more. Visit the technical support page of the Paid Leave website for instructions on how to complete the PIN process.
Submit a report for every quarter
- If you had no payroll for the quarter, file a “No payroll” report.
- File or amend any missing reports or payments.
Read about how to file reports and pay premiums on the Paid Leave website.
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We will mail Paid Leave balance statements in May
Watch your mail for Paid Leave statements in May. These statements will let you know your premium balance owed. This information will help you stay current with your reports and payments and avoid unnecessary costs when we start assessing penalties and interest later this year.
Read more about your premium balance on the Paid Leave website.
To ensure timely delivery of your statement, please log in to your employer account to:
- Check that your business mailing address and email address are correct. You can make changes to this information at any time.
- Review your premium reporting history and current balance. Reports are due every quarter, even if you do not have payroll. Please submit any missing reports or payments.
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Three statewide and three county-level employment reports out this month
With the delayed release of employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we will post three monthly employment reports and three county employment data news releases this month.
Go to the Employment Security website to find:
Follow the Employment Security Department on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to get the updated data as we share it.
Release dates:
- January Monthly Employment Report: published April 1.
- January county employment data: published April 7.
- February Monthly Employment Report: April 15.
- February county employment data: April 21.
- March Monthly Employment Report: April 29.
- March county employment data: May 5.
Attend Washington BizFair in Spokane
Come to the Washington BizFair on May 7 — a free, annual event for current and aspiring entrepreneurs. Learn how to start and grow a small business.
- Meet with representatives from government agencies.
- Network with nonprofits, small business owners and lenders.
- Attend seminars about licensing, marketing, funding and more.
- Hear guest speakers and panel discussions on topics of interest to small businesses.
The Employment Security Department will be there. We’ll have information about the labor market, unemployment taxes and benefits, and the Paid Leave program. We also will share information about free services for employers at WorkSource offices statewide.
Come and see us!
Washington BizFair
11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursday, May 7
Washington Small Business Development Center
4420 E. 8th St., Spokane
Register and find out more on the BizFair website.
A second 2026 BizFair will take place on Saturday, Sept. 19 in Puyallup.
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Stopping fraud and fictitious employers with a new tool
Thanks to a new tool, we are better able to protect you from fraud.
“Fictitious employers,” bad actors who impersonate or hijack legitimate employer accounts, are on the rise in many states. These criminals file imposter unemployment claims using wages they “earned” from fake or impersonated employers.
Since January, we’ve been working with the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) to stop them. NASWA released a new tool, called the Employer Data Module (EDM), to help.
Before, it was more challenging to proactively identify fictitious employers. We often could detect them only after unemployment claims had been filed. Now, EDM lets us crosscheck employer registrations. It uses sources like recorded fraud alerts and NASWA’s Fictitious Employer Repository. Many states contribute to this list of fictious employers.
We believe EDM will help us quickly spot these bad actors and keep you safe.
How you can help
- If you get mail from us that you were not expecting, let us know.
- Carefully read your Benefit Charging Notice and your Statement of Benefit Charges. (For reimbursable employers, the statement is part of your Quarterly Reimbursable Billing Statement.) If any information is wrong, write the correct information on the form and mail or fax it back to us. We will review and correct it if needed.
- Report scams or fraud right away. Use the forms on the scams and fraud page of the Employment Security website.
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Any time you need to respond to a notice from Employment Security, please use the phone number on that notice to reach the right team. If you do not contact the right team, we are not able to forward your call. Instead, we will give you the correct number to call.
If you have other questions related to unemployment taxes or benefits, about Paid Leave or WA Cares reporting, SharedWork and more, reach out! Find contact information by topic on the Employment Security website.
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This monthly newsletter contains important information for Washington employers.
If it is useful for others in your organization, such as a third party administrator, please forward and encourage them to subscribe.
Find past issues on the Employment Security website.
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