Washington Revised Code Title 50. Unemployment Compensation § 50.62.010. Legislative findings

(1) The number of persons unemployed in the state is significantly above the national average.

(2) Persons who are unemployed represent a skilled resource to the economy and the quality of life for all persons in the state.

(3) There are jobs available in the state that can be filled by unemployed persons.

(4) A public labor exchange can appreciably expedite the employment of unemployed job seekers and filling employer vacancies thereby contributing to the overall health of the state and national economies.

(5) The Washington state job service of the employment security department has provided a proven service of assisting persons to find employment for the past fifty years.

(6) Expediting the reemployment of unemployment insurance claimants will reduce payment of claims drawn from the state unemployment insurance trust fund.

(7) Increased emphasis on assisting in the reemployment of claimants and monitoring claimants' work search efforts will positively impact employer tax rates resulting from the recently enacted experience rating legislation, chapter 205, Laws of 1984.

(8) Special employment service efforts are necessary to adequately serve agricultural employers who have unique needs in the type of workers, recruitment efforts, and the urgency of obtaining sufficient workers.

(9) Study and research of issues related to employment and unemployment provides economic information vital to the decision-making process.

(10) Older workers and the long-term unemployed experience greater difficulty finding new employment at wages comparable to their prelayoff earnings relative to all unemployment insurance claimants who return to work.

(11) After a layoff, older unemployed workers and the long-term unemployed workers fail to find unemployment insurance-covered employment at a much higher rate than other groups of unemployment insurance claimants.

The legislature finds it necessary and in the public interest to have a program of job service to assist persons drawing unemployment insurance claims to find employment, to provide employment assistance to the agricultural industry, and to conduct research into issues related to employment and unemployment.