How long do you have to work at a company to get unemployment in California EDD?

Wait so my freelance income from before counts toward this too? I was paid as a 1099 contractor for most of that gig work.

Unfortunately 1099 independent contractor income does NOT count for regular UI benefits - that's the tricky part. Only wages where your employer paid into the state unemployment insurance fund count. If taxes weren't withheld from your checks and you got a 1099, those wages generally won't be included in your base period calculation.

this is correct. learned this the hard way myself. only W2 wages count for regular unemployment in california

That's really helpful to know. My 4-month job was W2 so taxes were definitely withheld. I just wasn't sure if 4 months was enough time to build up qualifying wages.

Depending on your hourly rate or salary, 4 months of full-time W2 work might be enough to hit the minimum threshold. File the claim and let EDD calculate it - worst case they tell you the exact amount you're short.

I've been trying to call EDD for two days straight and can't get through so this is actually super helpful, thank you

does that actually work?? i thought it was impossible to reach a real person at EDD anymore

It worked for me - I was skeptical too but I actually got connected to an agent who looked up my wage records and confirmed I'd qualify before I even submitted my claim. Saved me a lot of anxiety.

I was making $22/hr full time so fingers crossed that's enough

at $22 full time for 4 months you almost definitely qualify. thats like $15k+ in wages which is way over the minimum. just file

This math checks out. At $22/hr working 40hrs/week for roughly 17 weeks that's well over the minimum base period wage requirement. You should be good.

Yes, California EDD does require you to be actively seeking work as a condition of receiving benefits. You need to make at least three job search contacts per week and keep a record of them. If you're not looking for work you won't be considered 'able and available' which is a requirement.

oh shoot. what counts as a contact? does applying online count or does it have to be like calling a company?

Online applications absolutely count. Submitting a resume, attending a job fair, reaching out to a recruiter - these all count as valid job search activities. Just document everything with dates, employer names, and what action you took.

Yes definitely laid off, company did a round of cuts. No performance issues or anything like that.

Then you're in the best possible position. Lack of work layoffs are the most straightforward path to approval. Just file online at UI Online and you should hear back within a few weeks.

wish it was that simple lol. i got laid off legit and still ended up in adjudication for 6 weeks with no explanation

I had no idea there was an alternate base period option. Does EDD automatically check this or do I have to request it?

they check it automatically now when they process your claim. you don't have to do anything special. they'll use whichever base period is more favorable to you

Employers not reporting wages correctly is actually a thing that happens?? That's terrifying

Apparently more common than you'd think especially with smaller employers. The EDD agent told me it happens a fair amount. Always check your award notice against your own pay stubs.

This is making me want to actually call and verify before I file. Going to try claimyr.com

This is the clearest explanation I've gotten, thank you. So even if EDD doesn't count my freelance income I might still qualify based on my 4 months of W2 work alone?

Correct. If your W2 wages over those 4 months were concentrated within one or two quarters and exceeded the $1,300 threshold in at least one quarter, you'd meet the minimum requirement. File the claim - the online calculator at the EDD website can give you an estimate.

Agreed, the EDD Benefits Calculator on their site is actually pretty helpful for getting a rough estimate before you file. Worth using so you have realistic expectations.

Yes you can work part time and still collect partial UI benefits in California. You need to report all earnings when you certify for your weekly benefits. EDD will reduce your payment based on what you earned that week but you typically don't lose all benefits unless you earn over a certain threshold.

oh that's good to know. she was worried she'd lose all her benefits if she picked up even a single shift

The rule is roughly that you can earn up to 25% of your weekly benefit amount without any reduction. Earnings above that reduce your benefit dollar for dollar. So working part time is definitely worth it - you almost always come out ahead financially.

Good luck!! I'm about to file mine too after reading all these responses. Feel way more confident now.

fingers crossed for both of us. I think the most stressful part is just not knowing if you'll qualify

The layoff was completely amicable, they just had to cut headcount. I can't imagine they'd contest it but good to know this is a possibility.

if they do contest it you'll get a notice asking for your side of the story. just respond to it quickly and honestly. most contested claims still end up approved when it was a legitimate layoff

You have the advantage of knowing in advance - you can actually start looking at your pay stubs now to estimate your base period wages and get a sense of whether you'll qualify before you even need to file. No surprises that way.

hadn't thought about that. gonna dig out my paystubs this weekend and try to do the math. at least it's something proactive i can do

Also if you have questions once you're closer to the layoff date and want to talk to an actual EDD agent, claimyr.com is worth bookmarking now. The hold times at EDD can be really brutal and having a way to actually get through is valuable.

Yes it's based on when you file, so each new claim uses the base period relative to your new filing date. A claim filed today would look at roughly October 2023 through September 2024 as the standard base period. A claim filed a year ago would have looked at an earlier window.

ok that makes sense. so as long as i had decent wages in that window i should be fine regardless of past claims

correct. previous claims don't really factor into new ones as long as you've worked and earned new wages in the new base period

They don't require you to submit your job search log with every weekly certification, but EDD can and does request audits. If you get selected for a compliance review they'll ask you to provide your records. The fines and disqualification for falsifying job search records are serious so definitely keep accurate logs even if it feels like nobody's checking.

yikes okay. so I should actually be keeping a real spreadsheet or something not just checking the box

Exactly. Keep dates, company names, job titles you applied for, and method of contact. A simple spreadsheet or even notes on your phone works fine. EDD just needs to see you made genuine efforts.

I keep mine in Google Sheets. Makes it easy to search and sort if EDD ever asks for documentation.

Filing tonight. You're right I've been overthinking this. Thank you everyone in this thread - genuinely so helpful.

Good luck! Come back and let us know how it goes. Always helpful for others searching this same question to see a real outcome.

That's frustrating but good to know going in. I'll be mentally prepared for it to take longer than expected.

just stay on top of your weekly certifications no matter what. even if your claim is in some weird pending status you keep certifying so that when it does get resolved all your payments come through at once

This is important advice. Never stop certifying for your weekly benefits just because your claim seems stuck. Those weeks accumulate and get paid out retroactively once the issue is resolved.

This is a real thing. 'Able and available' is a legal standard that means physically and mentally capable of working and available to accept suitable work. If you had a medical issue that week that would have prevented you from taking a job you probably weren't technically able and available.

yeah I found out the hard way during an audit. nothing major happened but it was stressful explaining it

this stuff is way more complicated than i thought. every week is basically a mini compliance exercise

Just used it - if my calculation is right I'd get around $380/week which is not great but better than nothing while I job search. Enough to cover my rent at least.

That's what it's designed for - a bridge while you look for work. $380 week is a real number for a lot of people, not unusual at all.

mine came out to about $450 estimated. fingers crossed the real number is close to that