Just wanted to add another data point for anyone else dealing with this - I was initially denied for being short on hours too, but it turned out ESD hadn't counted hours from a temp agency job I had during my base year. Apparently temp agencies sometimes don't report wages/hours correctly to ESD's system. If you worked through any staffing agencies during your base period, definitely check that those hours are included in your determination. I had to get a wage statement directly from the temp agency and include it with my appeal. It's worth checking even if you think everything was reported correctly - these systems aren't perfect and mistakes happen more often than you'd think.

This entire thread should be required reading for anyone dealing with ESD denials! I work in HR and see employees get tripped up by these hour requirements all the time. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you had any employer-paid training during your base year (orientation, safety training, etc.), make sure those hours are counted too. We've had several cases where new hire training hours weren't included in ESD's calculations. Also, if you were paid for any company meetings or mandatory events, those count as well. The key is that ANY time your employer paid you should be included in that 680-hour total. Keep all your pay stubs from the entire base year period - not just your regular work hours!

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! Sounds like Washington has pretty decent unemployment benefits compared to other states. Now I just need to actually file my claim and hope it goes smoothly.

One additional thing to keep in mind - make sure you have all your employment documentation ready before filing. Washington ESD will need details about your last employer, dates of employment, reason for separation, and your wages for the past 18 months. Having everything organized upfront can help avoid delays in processing your claim. Also, if you worked for multiple employers during your base period, you'll need information for all of them.

Seriously, this saved me from filing at the wrong time. I think I'll wait until April to get my Q1 2025 wages included.

This has been incredibly informative! I'm in a similar situation where I had inconsistent work in 2024 and was worried about which quarters would count. Reading through everyone's experiences and @Austin Leonard's explanations about both the standard and alternate base periods being checked automatically really puts my mind at ease. I had no idea Washington ESD would automatically use whichever option gives the better benefit. Also noting the tip about @Logan Chiang's mention of Claimyr for getting through to agents - the phone system has been impossible for me too. Thanks to everyone who contributed to making this so much clearer than anything I could find elsewhere!

UPDATE: Just want to let everyone know that I got my back payments today! It took exactly 19 business days after the appeal decision. The money came in as separate deposits for each week just like someone mentioned. My online account still shows the old disqualification status though, which is weird. Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

Congratulations on getting your back payments! 19 business days falls right in that 2-4 week range everyone was talking about. This is really helpful for future reference - it's good to see a success story with actual timeline data. Don't worry about the online account still showing disqualifications, that's totally normal and doesn't affect your payments going forward. Hope this helps you get caught up on those bills!

honestly the hardest part about unemployment isn't figuring out the benefit amount, it's dealing with all the bureaucracy and staying on top of the weekly claims and job search requirements. the money helps but the process is exhausting

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that Washington ESD recently updated their online benefit calculator to be more user-friendly. If you create an account on their website, you can actually see your wage history from previous employers automatically populated, which makes estimating your benefits much easier. I discovered this when I was helping my sister with her claim last month. It's under the "Calculate Your Benefits" section once you log in. This might save you from having to track down old pay stubs or wait on hold to get your wage information.