Hope your claim goes smoothly OP! The Washington ESD system can be confusing but understanding how it's funded is a good first step in understanding your rights and benefits.

This whole discussion has been really enlightening! I had no idea there were both state and federal components to unemployment insurance funding. It makes me appreciate how much goes on behind the scenes to support workers when they lose their jobs. The experience-rating system for employers is particularly interesting - it creates real financial incentives for companies to avoid layoffs when possible. Thanks everyone for breaking down such a complex system in easy-to-understand terms!

This has been really educational. I had no idea the unemployment system was so complex. Seems like there are a lot of ways to accidentally disqualify yourself if you don't know the rules.

Thanks everyone for all the detailed info! This thread has been incredibly helpful. I had no idea about the base period calculation or that quitting voluntarily would disqualify me. Definitely going to use that benefit calculator on the ESD website to see where I stand, and I'll make sure to have a solid plan before making any job changes. Really appreciate this community sharing their experiences - saved me from potentially making a costly mistake!

I just went through this same confusion a few months ago when I first filed! You definitely don't need your employer's unemployment tax number (UBI number) for your personal claim - that's strictly for employers when they file their quarterly reports with the state. It sounds like you might have accidentally ended up on the employer portal section of the Washington ESD website, which happens to a lot of people since the navigation isn't great. For a regular unemployment claim, you only need your SSN, basic employer info (name, address), and your work history. Just make sure you're on the right page by going directly to esd.wa.gov and clicking "File for Unemployment Benefits" - that'll take you to the actual claimant application where you won't see any requests for employer tax numbers.

I had this exact same issue when I first filed for unemployment! The "unemployment tax number" they're asking for is actually your employer's UBI (Unified Business Identifier) number, which is something only employers need to know for their quarterly tax filings with Washington State. As a regular employee, you would never have access to this number, and you don't need it for your personal unemployment claim. It sounds like you accidentally ended up on the employer section of the Washington ESD website instead of the regular claimant application - this happens to tons of people because their website navigation is confusing and the pages look really similar. Just go back to esd.wa.gov and look for "File for Unemployment Benefits" to get to the correct claimant form. You'll only need your SSN, basic employer info (business name and address), and your work history. Washington ESD can look up all the employer tax information on their end once you provide those basic details.

This thread has been super helpful! I was wondering about the same thing for my claim. Thanks everyone for all the suggestions and resources.

Just wanted to add one more resource that might help - if your employer uses a payroll service like ADP, Paychex, or QuickBooks Payroll, sometimes the EIN is listed on their employee portal or in your digital pay stubs. I found mine this way when I couldn't locate my physical W-2. Many people forget about checking their online payroll accounts but they often have all the tax information you need for unemployment claims.

To answer your follow-up question - no, it won't ask for both weeks' job searches at once. Each weekly claim only covers the specific week you're filing for. So when you file this Sunday, you'll be reporting for the current week only. By the way, when the system asks if you completed your job search activities, it just asks yes/no. You don't actually enter the details into the ESD system unless you're selected for a job search review. But you absolutely must keep detailed records of all your job search activities (I use a spreadsheet).

Just went through this same process last month! The initial claim filing can be really confusing because it doesn't walk you through everything step by step. Here's what I learned: you're totally fine - the initial application just sets up your claim basics. The weekly reporting (including job searches) happens separately when you file your weekly claims starting this Sunday. One tip that helped me: set up a simple tracking system NOW for your job searches. I keep a basic log with date, company name, position, and how I applied (online, in person, etc.). Makes the weekly reporting so much easier when you have everything organized. The ESD can randomly audit your job search records, so keeping good documentation from the start is super important. You're on the right track - don't stress too much about it!