Good luck with your claim! Based on what you've described, you should definitely qualify. Just be patient with the process and keep all your documentation organized.

I went through something very similar last year in Washington state. The key thing to remember is that Washington ESD considers "good cause" for leaving employment to include accepting another job offer that subsequently falls through due to circumstances beyond your control. Since you had a formal offer with a start date and the company rescinded it due to their budget issues, you should definitely qualify. Make sure to file your claim immediately and gather all your documentation - the original offer letter, any email correspondence about the rescission, and your resignation notice from the retail job. The adjudication process might take a few weeks, but Washington generally sides with workers in these situations. Don't let this discourage you from continuing your job search - you did nothing wrong by trusting a legitimate job offer.

Yeah what everyone else said is correct. Salaried, hourly, doesn't matter to Washington ESD. I was making $70k salary when I got laid off and had no problems getting approved. The weekly benefit calculation is actually pretty generous for higher earners.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact situation recently. I was a salaried project manager making $62k and got laid off during restructuring. Filed for unemployment immediately and had zero issues - Washington ESD processed my claim just like any other employee. The key is not to overthink it - if you paid into the system through payroll taxes and were laid off through no fault of your own, you qualify regardless of salary vs hourly status. The online application took me about 15 minutes and I got my first payment within 3 weeks. Don't let anyone tell you differently about salaried employees not being eligible - that's completely false information.

Really glad you were able to get through to ESD and find out what your employer actually said! It's unfortunately very common for employers to tell terminated employees they won't contest the claim, then turn around and provide reasons that could potentially disqualify you. At least now you know exactly what you're up against. The fact that they claimed "failure to meet performance expectations" but provided zero documentation is actually a good sign for your case. ESD typically needs to see a clear pattern of documented poor performance and warnings for that to constitute misconduct. One unsigned probation notice from January with positive interactions since then doesn't meet that bar. 4-6 weeks is still a long time to wait when bills are piling up, but it sounds like you're in a strong position for approval. Make sure you keep filing those weekly claims - you can't get back pay for weeks you didn't file even if you're eventually approved. Hang in there! The waiting is the worst part, but it sounds like you've done everything right.

I'm going through something very similar right now! Got terminated 3 weeks ago with minimal explanation and my claim has been in adjudication ever since. It's such a relief to read your update about finding out what your employer actually told ESD - I had no idea you could do that. My former employer also told me they "wouldn't fight it" but now I'm wondering what they're actually saying behind the scenes. Definitely going to try that Claimyr service to get through and find out. The not knowing is almost worse than the waiting. Thanks for sharing your experience - it's given me hope that I can at least get some answers about what I'm dealing with. The whole process feels so opaque when you're going through it alone.

I'm in week 3 of adjudication hell and this thread is both reassuring and terrifying! Mine got flagged because I'm taking a weekend photography workshop (literally just Saturdays 10am-2pm for 6 weeks). The fact that something so minimal can trigger weeks of review is insane. What's really frustrating is the complete lack of transparency. At least when you're waiting for a medical appointment you get an estimated timeframe, but ESD just says "additional processing time needed" which could mean anything from 2 days to 2 months apparently. I've been following everyone's advice here - continuing weekly claims, uploaded my workshop schedule showing it's only weekends, and checking eServices obsessively. Seriously considering Claimyr at this point since the success stories here make it sound like the only way to actually reach a human. The regular phone line is completely useless - I've tried calling probably 50+ times and either get busy signals or sit on hold for hours before getting disconnected. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences and timelines. It helps to know others have made it through this process, even if the wait times are all over the place!

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now - day 8 of adjudication for answering yes to the school question about my online coding bootcamp that's only evenings and weekends. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both helpful and anxiety-inducing! The range of wait times from 10 days to 3+ months is absolutely wild. What really gets me is how they flag something like evening classes that clearly don't interfere with normal work hours, then leave you in limbo for weeks without any real communication. I've been doing everything mentioned here - filing weekly claims religiously, uploaded my class schedule showing it's only 6-9pm Mon/Wed, checking eServices daily for updates. The Claimyr success stories are really tempting me at this point. I've tried calling ESD directly probably 30+ times and either get busy signals or sit on hold for 2+ hours before getting disconnected. If it's really just $20-30 to actually reach a human who can look at your case, that seems worth it when you're potentially facing weeks more of uncertainty. Thanks everyone for sharing your timelines and what worked - it helps so much to hear real experiences instead of just the vague "additional processing time" message from ESD!

Just to close the loop on this - your dad should absolutely file. Washington has some of the most inclusive unemployment policies in the country. Age is not a barrier.

I'm 62 and went through this exact situation two years ago when I got laid off from a manufacturing job. There's definitely no age limit in Washington - I collected benefits for about 4 months while job hunting. The only thing I'd add is that older workers sometimes need to be extra careful about documenting their job search activities since ESD can be pretty strict about that requirement. Keep detailed records of every application, networking event, and job fair you attend. Also, don't get discouraged if the job search takes longer - the benefits are there to support you while you find the right fit, not just any job.