Thank you everyone for all the helpful information! I feel much more prepared now. I'm going to start gathering my documents and continue job searching while I wait for my last day. Hopefully I'll find something before then, but at least I know I have options.

I'm sorry to hear about your situation Andre. As someone who works in HR, I can confirm that business closures definitely qualify for unemployment benefits in Washington. Since you've been there for 3 years, you'll easily meet the wage requirements. One thing I'd add that others haven't mentioned - ask your employer if they're providing any severance pay, as this might affect the timing of when your unemployment benefits start. Also, if your company has 50+ employees, they're required to give 60 days notice under the WARN Act, so you might have more time than you think. Keep your chin up - this kind of transition is never easy but you're taking all the right steps!

For anyone else experiencing this issue who finds this thread later: The ESD IVR system was originally designed to handle about 2,000 calls per day, but since the 2024 aerospace industry layoffs, it's been processing upwards of 8,500 calls daily. This is why disconnections happen frequently during peak hours (10am-2pm). Best practices: 1. Call early (7:30-9am) or late (3:30-4:45pm) when volumes are lower 2. Have all your information prepared before calling 3. Use a landline if possible as cell connections can contribute to disconnections 4. If disconnected, wait 24 hours before calling again as your partial information may still be processing 5. Check your online account daily for status changes The system issues are scheduled for a major update in October 2025, which should improve these problems significantly.

I'm dealing with something similar right now! My claim has been stuck in "IVR Processing" for 2 days after the system disconnected me during the final employment verification step. Reading through everyone's experiences here is really helpful - it sounds like this is unfortunately pretty common with their outdated phone system. I'm going to follow the advice about waiting the full 4 business days before calling back and asking specifically for a "claim completion override" if needed. It's frustrating that we have to deal with these technical issues when we're already stressed about being unemployed, but at least it seems like there are workarounds. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions!

UPDATE: Found the reopen option under Manage Claims! It was hidden in a submenu. Submitted the request and now it shows as 'pending review.' Hopefully this works without needing to call anyone. Thanks everyone for the help!

Congrats on finding the reopen option! Just a heads up - while your request is pending review, start gathering all your documentation (termination papers, any work you did between claims, etc.) in case they ask for additional verification. Also, once it's approved, you can usually start filing your weekly claims right away even if the first payment takes a bit longer to process. The key is not to let any weeks go unfiled once you're active again. Good luck!

Thanks everyone for the helpful info! Just to make sure I understand: I need to file a claim for the waiting week even though I won't get paid, and if I don't, my benefits will be delayed. I'll make sure to do that right away. One more question - does the waiting week count toward my total benefit weeks? Like if I'm approved for 26 weeks, does that include the waiting week or is it 26 paid weeks plus the unpaid waiting week?

I went through this same thing a few months ago and was so confused! The waiting week really caught me off guard financially. One tip that helped me - I used that first week to really organize my job search strategy and get familiar with the ESD system. Since you have to file the claim anyway but won't get paid, it's a good time to make sure you understand all the requirements like work search activities and how to properly fill out your weekly claims. That way when your paid weeks start, you won't have any hiccups. Also, definitely set up direct deposit if you haven't already - it makes getting your benefits much faster once they start coming.

Bottom line - minimum wage increases don't affect current UI benefits, but they can help future claims if your base period wages were higher because of the increase. Makes sense once you understand how the timing works.

This thread has been super helpful! I'm in a similar situation - been on UI for about 2 months and was confused when I heard about the minimum wage increase. Now I understand that my $421 weekly benefit won't change even though minimum wage went up. It's kind of a bummer that current claimants don't get any immediate help when cost of living goes up, but at least the system makes sense once you understand the base period calculation. Thanks to everyone who explained how this all works!