Looks like they got it right.

The Employment Security Department said today in a release that a large majority of unemployment benefits were paid accurately in 2008.

A federally required internal audit sampled 480 out of 319,440 unemployment claims that were paid in 2008, the release said, and the results indicated that 88.6 percent were paid accurately. The audit found that excess benefits were paid in 11.4 percent of the reviewed claims.

Most overpayments were due to inaccurate information received from claimants, the department said. Common issues involved claimants who were not meeting the weekly work-search requirements; were not available to work; or did not accurately report when they returned to work.

By law, claimants must repay any excess benefits they received and may be barred from receiving additional benefits.

“It’s a small sample, but it’s enough to show us where we’re doing well and where we might be able to achieve additional improvements,” said ESD Commissioner Karen Lee. “It is important to us to pay benefits as accurately as possible and to prevent fraud.”

Over the last few years, Employment Security has stepped up its efforts to detect and prevent people from receiving benefits they’re not entitled to. The department cross-matches records with other state and federal agencies, monitors address and telephone information, and investigates tips from the public.

And should you wish to report an unemployment cheat, call 866-266-1987.

A week after publicly announcing his candidacy, former Tacoma Mayor Brian Ebersole has said he will not be a candidate for the open seat on the Port of Tacoma Commission.

I spoke with Ebersole last night at the World Trade Center Tacoma awards banquet, and he said he would switch his support to candidate Don Meyer, current head of the Foss Waterway Authority.

Along with being mayor, Ebersole has served as a speaker of the state House and as president of Bates Technical College.

“I didn’t know when I announced that Don Meyer, a friend, was planning to run,” Ebersole said. “As soon as I learned it – I thought, that’s the guy I’d like to vote for. It didn’t make much sense to run against Don when he’s the guy I’d vote for.”

Ebersole said he and Meyer met Thursday morning. “I explained that my real intention was in international relief efforts, international understanding.”

Along with being involved with a hotel in The Philippines, Ebersole is working on the Cambodian “Village Pig Project” and a clean water initiative aimed at improving the health of children in Asia.

Meyer also attended last night’s banquet, and said, “I’m pleased that Brian has indicated support for my candidacy. The ironical part – the very issue Brian was taking about – Tacoma must come around as an international city.”

Yes, that’s the same Zak Nelson.

It was only last February that Nelson was featured in The News Tribune business section in a Q&A concerning his efforts to start a job club in Tacoma (and get a job).

The club has grown to contain 73 members – from a beginning core that you could count on one hand – and sister-clubs have grown in Seattle and Bellevue. Other interested folks have contacted Nelson from around the country to ask about starting clubs in their own cities.

Meanwhile, Nelson has a new job. He started last week as communications manager at the Tacoma Regional Convention + Visitor Bureau.

Nelson, 31, told me yesterday afternoon that he heard about the opening from a few contacts he’d made during his search. He sent in a cover letter, his resume and he took the time to list his qualifications line-by-line against items in the posted job description – and he heard from CVB head Tammy Blount a few days later. An interview followed, then the offer of a position.

He’ll be handling media relations as well as helping to design a new Web presence for the organization. He’ll also be working on some “online marketing pursuits and communications strategies,” he said.

Meanwhile, the job club he founded still meets at the ParkWay Tavern at 1 p.m. every Wednesday.

He sounded a bit bittersweet on the phone, leaving (to a round of applause from his colleagues) the club to begin a new career.