Good luck with your claim! Most people in your situation do end up getting approved. The unemployment system isn't perfect but it does generally work for people who legitimately lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

I went through something very similar last year - got terminated for "not meeting performance standards" after 18 months at my job. I was really worried about applying because I thought getting fired meant automatic denial, but that's not true at all. Washington ESD approved my claim because performance issues aren't the same as misconduct. The key distinction is whether you were fired for something you did wrong intentionally (like breaking rules, theft, etc.) versus just not being able to meet their expectations despite trying your best. From what you've described, it sounds like you have a good chance of getting approved. File your claim online at esd.wa.gov as soon as possible - don't wait because the sooner you file, the sooner your benefit year starts. Be completely honest about the reason for termination when you fill out the application. Good luck!

Update? Did you get anywhere with this? Im in the same boat now :

I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now - 6 weeks into adjudication and my landlord is threatening eviction. The stress is unbearable. Thank you for posting this because I was starting to think I was the only one dealing with this mess. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service and contact my state rep like others suggested. Also going to send that secure message about housing instability - I had no idea they prioritize those cases! Please keep us updated on your situation. We're all rooting for you and hoping this gets resolved soon. The system is completely broken but at least we can help each other navigate it.

So glad to see this thread! I've been having the exact same issues since Friday - thought I was going crazy. The CAPTCHA failures are the worst part because you start questioning if you're even doing it right. I've been trying to file my weekly claim and keep getting stuck at the same spots everyone mentioned. Going to try the Edge browser suggestion right now since that seemed to work for a few people. It's really frustrating that there's no official communication from ESD about these outages - a simple "we're experiencing technical difficulties, expected resolution time X" would go a long way toward reducing everyone's stress levels!

I'm dealing with the same nightmare! Been trying to file my initial claim since Saturday and hitting the exact same CAPTCHA wall. What's really frustrating is that I'm already stressed about being unemployed, and then the system that's supposed to help me is completely broken. I tried calling the phone line this morning and after waiting on hold for 2 hours, the call just disconnected. Really hoping the Edge browser trick works - going to try that next. It's crazy that we're all having to troubleshoot their broken system instead of them just fixing it or at least acknowledging the problem publicly!

Another thing to remember is that the quality of your job search matters too. Washington ESD expects you to be applying for jobs that match your skills and experience level. You can't just apply to random positions that you're obviously not qualified for.

I've been collecting UI benefits for about 2 months now and can confirm that 3 job search activities per week is correct. What really helped me was setting up a routine - I do one application on Monday, one on Wednesday, and then either another application or attend a virtual job fair on Friday. This way I'm not scrambling at the end of the week to meet the requirement. Also, don't forget that informational interviews count too - I've done a few of those through LinkedIn connections and they're actually really valuable for networking even if they don't lead to immediate job offers.

One last thing - remember that your unemployment benefits are taxable income. Washington ESD can withhold taxes from your weekly payments if you want, or you can pay quarterly estimated taxes. Just something to factor into your budgeting.

Based on everything discussed here, it sounds like Washington ESD uses the formula: (Total base period wages ÷ 52) × 0.0385 = weekly benefit amount. So for your situation Austin, you'd need to add up all your wages from Q1-Q4 2024 (your base period), divide by 52, then multiply by 0.0385. With your tech job paying $4,200/month for most of that period, you should qualify for a decent weekly amount, probably somewhere in the $400-600 range depending on your exact totals. The maximum is $999/week for 2025, so you won't hit the cap, but you should get enough to help with expenses while job searching.