To clarify a point about reporting: When you file your weekly claim, you'll need to report that your employment ended. When asked why, select the most accurate option available - usually something like "discharged" or "fired" rather than "quit." ESD will then likely send you a questionnaire about the separation or schedule a phone interview. This is where you can explain the full situation with the lack of formal warnings and the context of promised hours that never materialized. For your job search, make sure you're focusing on positions that would be considered "suitable work" based on your skills and experience. The WorkSource training program is excellent - make sure ESD knows you're participating in this, as it demonstrates your commitment to reemployment. If you need immediate assistance with bills while waiting for this to resolve, ask WorkSource about emergency assistance programs that might be available to you.

Thank you all so much for the advice and support. I feel a little less panicked now. I have my weekly claim coming up in 2 days, so I'll report the job ending accurately and be prepared for questions. I'm going to try calling ESD first thing tomorrow, and if I can't get through, I might try that Claimyr service someone mentioned. I really can't afford to wait weeks for a decision without knowing what's happening. I'll also contact my WorkSource advisor tomorrow to see if they can provide any documentation about my participation in the training program that might help my case. I'll update here if I learn anything that might help others in a similar situation!

My sister-in-law works for the state (not ESD though) and she mentioned something about a new payment processing system being implemented this week. Maybe that's related? She said several departments were having to adjust to new software rollouts. Probably just growing pains with the new system.

UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know my payment finally came through this morning at 6:30am. Looks like it was just delayed by about 18 hours. Hope everyone else has received theirs too!

Just to add some additional clarification since there's some confusion here: 1. WorkSource appointments (phone or in-person) count as job search activities 2. You must record the specific name of the WorkSource staff member you spoke with 3. The system classifies these as "In-person WorkSource workshop or appointment" even for phone calls 4. If the specialist assigns you follow-up activities, those can count separately if they take more than an hour and are properly documented 5. Always keep documentation of all WorkSource interactions for at least 6 months in case of a job search review Source: I work with ESD programs and help people navigate the unemployment system.

my specialist never evn called me last month and i still got in trouble for missing the apointment smh

One other thing to check: look at your payment history section. If your recent weeks show a status of "pending" or "processing" instead of "paid," that might give you a clue. Sometimes there's a pending issue that doesn't trigger an alert. Also, make sure you've completed all work search requirements - ESD is being much stricter about the 3 job search activities per week in 2025.

" Pending status for three weeks without any alerts is almost always an adjudication issue that'hasn t been properly flagged in the system.'There s likely a question about your eligibility that an ESD adjudicator needs to review, but for some reason,'it s not showing up in your dashboard. This happens quite often with'ESD s system. Unfortunately, the only solution is speaking directly with an agent who can look at the notes on your claim that'aren t visible to you througheServices.

One additional note: when you do finally reach an agent, ask them to document in your file that you've been attempting to contact ESD regularly. This can be important if they try to say you were non-responsive to some request you never received. Also, make sure you have a clear and accurate record of your last employer, including the correct business name (sometimes the legal name is different from what employees call it), their ESD reference number if you have it, and exact dates of employment. Having these details ready can sometimes help them clear up issues on the spot. Keep in mind that adjudicators and regular ESD agents are different - regular agents can see what's causing the hold but often can't adjudicate the claim themselves. However, they CAN add notes to your file that the adjudicator will see, which is why being specific about your situation when you do reach someone is so important.

UPDATE: I finally got through to ESD this morning! Called about 40 times starting at exactly 8am. The agent confirmed my employer DID respond promptly (not the issue) but apparently there was a discrepancy between the reason for separation I listed (layoff) and some auto-categorization in their system that flagged it as "lack of work" which are technically different things in their system. The agent added detailed notes to my file and said an adjudicator should contact me within 3-5 business days. Fingers crossed this actually happens! Will update when I hear more.