Final thought - bookmark the eServices correspondence section and check it every few days. Washington ESD communicates everything through official letters/notices, and missing an important deadline because you didn't see a notice can mess up your whole claim.

I'm going through the exact same confusion right now! Applied two weeks ago and have been trying to decode all the different status messages. The monetary determination letter is definitely the key - I finally found mine buried in the correspondence section and it clearly shows my weekly benefit amount and duration. Still waiting on my first payment though, so it's reassuring to hear that 1-3 week delays are normal. The Washington ESD website really could use better user experience design - having to hunt through multiple sections just to understand if you're approved is unnecessarily stressful when you're already dealing with unemployment.

Good luck with your claim! Partial unemployment really helped me when I was in a similar situation. The extra income makes a huge difference when you're dealing with reduced hours.

Just went through this exact same situation a few months ago! My retail job cut me from full-time to just 12 hours per week. Washington ESD approved my partial unemployment claim pretty quickly once I provided documentation of the hour reduction. The weekly benefit amount really helped cover the gap in my income. One thing I learned is to file your weekly claims on the same day each week to stay consistent - it makes the process smoother. Also, keep all your pay stubs organized because you'll need to report your exact earnings and hours each week.

Also, don't forget that even while working part-time, you still need to complete and document your three job search activities each week to remain eligible. I recommend focusing those job search efforts on positions closer to your normal wage/skill level while working the lower-paying job. Good luck with everything! The partial benefit option really saved me when I was in a similar position.

Just wanted to add that you should also keep documentation of your job search efforts while working the part-time position. ESD may ask for proof that you're still actively seeking full-time work in your field, especially since there's such a significant pay difference between your previous job ($32/hr) and what you're being forced to accept ($14/hr). I'd suggest keeping a spreadsheet with dates, companies contacted, positions applied for, and any responses received. This shows you're genuinely looking for appropriate work and not just settling for underemployment. It could be helpful if there are any questions about your continued eligibility. Also, once your adjudication is resolved, make sure to follow up if you don't see your back payments within a few weeks. Sometimes they need a little nudge to process everything correctly.

Just to add another perspective - even if your initial claim gets denied, you can appeal the decision. S corp owner cases sometimes get denied initially but approved on appeal once all the documentation is reviewed properly.

I'm in a similar situation with my LLC that I elected to tax as an S corp. I've been following this thread and it's really helpful to see all the different perspectives. From what I'm gathering, the key seems to be having that clear employee-employer relationship documented, even when you're the owner. Ali, have you considered reaching out to a local SCORE mentor or small business attorney? They might be able to help you prepare your documentation package before you apply. Also, I'd definitely recommend keeping detailed records of when you stopped all business activities - dates, emails to clients about closure, etc. That timeline could be crucial if they question your separation from work. Good luck with your application!

My husband had this exact issue when he moved from Nevada last year. It took about two weeks for them to get all his hours from Nevada and update his claim. The annoying part was we couldn't get any information during that time - the online system just showed "disqualified" which was super stressful. One thing I would recommend is making sure your weekly claims are still being filed during this time! Even though it shows you as disqualified, if they approve your claim with the out-of-state hours, they'll pay those weeks retroactively - but ONLY if you filed the weekly claims.

I went through this exact same thing when I moved from Colorado to Washington last fall! Got that scary denial email on day 2, then spent the next week checking my account obsessively. Finally got an updated monetary determination showing my Colorado wages after about 8 business days. The key thing is to NOT panic (easier said than done, I know). ESD's initial screening only looks at Washington wages, but if you listed out-of-state employment on your application, they automatically send wage requests to those states. The denial email is just their system being overly dramatic before the real processing is done. Keep filing your weekly claims no matter what the system says - this is crucial for getting backpay later. And try to resist calling ESD unless it's been more than 2 weeks, because honestly you'll just sit on hold forever and they'll tell you the same thing everyone here is saying.