This entire thread has been so incredibly helpful! I'm also dealing with ESD payments and was considering switching to PayPal from my current bank direct deposit setup. Reading through everyone's real experiences - from Emma's initial stress about rent timing to Brian's detailed breakdown of patterns, and all the follow-up data points from Dmitry and others - gives such a clearer picture than anything I could find on official sites. The range seems to be 1-4 business days with most people experiencing 2 days for regular payments, but 3 days for first-time PayPal deposits. The tips about watching for PayPal email notifications and checking pending transactions in the activity feed are game changers! Thanks to everyone who shared their actual timelines and experiences. This is exactly the kind of real-world information people need when making decisions about payment methods during unemployment.

Adding to this great collection of real experiences - I've been using PayPal for ESD deposits for about 4 months now and wanted to share what I've learned. My timing has been very consistent at 2 business days, with one 3-day exception during a federal holiday week. One thing that really helped my peace of mind was setting up PayPal's mobile notifications. You can enable push notifications for incoming deposits in the PayPal app settings, so you'll get an instant alert on your phone the moment they receive the payment from ESD, even before it shows in your available balance. This has saved me so much anxiety compared to constantly checking my account! Also want to echo what others said about the "paid" status timing - if your claim shows "paid" after about 2 PM Pacific time, the actual ACH transfer usually doesn't initiate until the next business day. I learned this the hard way when I was counting Thursday as day 1 but the transfer didn't actually start until Friday. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - this thread has become such a valuable resource for anyone dealing with ESD PayPal deposits!

Just wanted to update that I finally got a letter explaining why my claim was in adjudication. Apparently my former employer initially contested the claim saying I quit instead of being laid off. Even though I submitted documentation proving it was a layoff right away, it still took them 9 weeks to verify. So frustrating that ESD just takes employers at their word and makes us wait months to prove otherwise.

Wow, 9 weeks is absolutely ridiculous! I'm currently on week 3 of adjudication and this thread is both terrifying and helpful. It's crazy that employers can just contest claims with no real proof and we have to wait months while they "investigate." Thanks for sharing your experience and congrats on finally getting approved - gives me hope that mine will eventually go through too. Did you get the full backpay for all 9 weeks or did they deny any of them?

The fact that you kept filing weekly claims during the appeal was smart. I made that mistake on my first appeal years ago and it created a huge mess with the back pay calculation.

Congrats on winning your appeal! I went through something similar last year and the wait for payment after winning was nerve-wracking. In my experience, it took about 10 business days for the back payments to show up. One tip - if you don't see movement in your account by day 14, definitely call to check status. Sometimes there are small administrative hiccups that need a gentle nudge to get resolved. The good news is once it processes, you should get everything you're owed in one lump sum. Fingers crossed it comes through quickly for you!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who's been helping folks with interstate unemployment claims in the Vancouver/Portland area for a while. You're getting excellent advice here - definitely file with Oregon since that's where you worked and where your employer paid unemployment taxes into the system. A few additional tips based on what I've seen help people in your situation: 1. When Oregon asks for your "last day worked," make sure you use your actual last day of employment, not the day you were notified of the layoff. This trips up a lot of people. 2. Keep detailed records of every step - screenshot confirmation pages, write down any reference numbers, save emails. Oregon's system can be glitchy and having documentation helps if you need to call later. 3. For the work search requirement, remember that Oregon requires 5 contacts per week but they're pretty flexible about what counts. Attending virtual job fairs, LinkedIn networking, even informational interviews with people in your field can count as valid contacts. 4. Don't panic if your first certification gets held up for manual review - this is common with interstate claims and usually resolves within a week or two. The process seems overwhelming at first, but thousands of Washington residents successfully file Oregon claims every year. Once you get that initial claim submitted, you'll feel a lot better. Good luck!

I went through this exact situation about a year ago - worked in Beaverton, lived in Longview, got laid off unexpectedly. Everyone here is absolutely right about filing with Oregon, and I wanted to add a few things that really helped me get through the process: First, try to file your claim on a weekday morning if possible - I had much better luck with Oregon's system around 7-8 AM on Tuesday/Wednesday versus trying on Mondays or weekends when it seemed more overloaded. Second, when you're gathering documents, don't forget about any severance or vacation payout information. Oregon will ask about any payments you received after your termination date, and having those details ready speeds up the process. One thing that caught me off guard was Oregon's initial interview process - they called me about 10 days after filing to verify my employment details and separation reason. The call came from an Oregon number I didn't recognize, so make sure you're answering calls even if they look like potential spam. The good news is that once you get through the initial hurdles, Oregon's payment system works smoothly for Washington residents. I never had issues with direct deposit, and they were good about recognizing job search activities in the Washington market for their weekly requirements. Hang in there - the first couple weeks are definitely the most stressful part, but you'll get through it!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who had their WorkSource appointment a few weeks ago! I was super nervous beforehand too, but it turned out to be really helpful. The counselor spent about 35 minutes with me and was genuinely focused on helping me improve my job search strategy. They did review my job search log, but it was more conversational - asking what types of responses I was getting and if certain approaches were working better than others. When I mentioned I was having trouble with my cover letters, they actually pulled up some templates and helped me customize one right there. The biggest surprise was learning about their "hidden job market" workshop - apparently a lot of jobs never get posted publicly and they teach you how to find those opportunities. I'm signed up for next week! After the appointment, nothing changed with my weekly requirements. I still file my claims every week and do my 3 job search activities. The only difference is now I have better tools and resources to make those activities more effective. My advice: treat it like a free career coaching session rather than something to worry about. Bring your job search log and any specific questions you have about your search. You might be surprised how much they can help!

I just had my WorkSource appointment two days ago and wanted to share my experience since I was in the exact same boat as you - totally freaking out after 7 weeks on unemployment! The appointment was actually really positive. It lasted about 30 minutes and the counselor was super understanding. They reviewed my job search log but weren't nitpicky about every detail - they were more interested in making sure I understood what counted as valid activities and helping me be more strategic. The best part was they introduced me to some resources I had no idea existed. They helped me set up a profile on their job matching system and showed me how to access industry-specific job boards. They also mentioned some upcoming virtual networking events that are free to attend. After the appointment, everything stays exactly the same - you just continue filing your weekly claims and doing your 3 job search activities per week. No additional requirements unless you specifically request extra help or training. My biggest takeaway: go in with questions about your job search challenges. They're genuinely there to help you find work faster, not to create obstacles. Bring your job search log and be honest about what you've been doing. You've got this!